,illustration3 ,mary ,wollstonecraft    
,,an                                    
,,historical ,,and ,,moral ,,view       
,,of ,,the                              
,,origin ,,and ,,progress               
,,of ,,the                              
,,french ,,revolution2                  
,,and ,,the                             
,,effect ,,it ,,has ,,produced          
,,in                                    
,,europe4                               
,,by ,,mary ,,wollstonecraft4           
,,volume ,,the ,,first4                 
,,london3             ,,printed ,,for   
,j4 ,,johnson1 ,,in ,,st4 ,,paul',s     
,,church-,,yard4                        
#agid4                                  
,,advertisement4      ,this history1    
taking in such a variety of facts and   
opinions1 has grown  under my hand2     
especially as in writing ,i cannot avoid
 entering into  some desultory          
disquisitions1 and descriptions of      
manners and things  which1 though not   
strictly necessary to elucidate the     

events1 are  intimately connected with  
the main object2 ,i have also been led  
into  several theoretical               
investigations1 whilst marking the      
political effects  that naturally flow  
from the progress of knowledge4 ,it is  
probable1  therefore1 that this work    
will be extended to two or three more   
volumes1  a considerable part of which  
is already written4                     
,,preface4      ,the revolution in      
,france exhibits a scene1 in the        
political world1 not  less novel and    
interesting than the contrast is        
striking between the  narrow opinions of
 superstition1 and the enlightened      
sentiments of  masculine and improved   
philosophy4    ,to mark the prominent   
features of this revolution1 requires a 
mind1 not  only unsophisticated by old  
prejudices1 and the inveterate habits of
  degeneracy2 but an amelioration of    
temper1 produced by the exercise of  the
 most enlarged principles of humanity4  
,the rapid changes1 the violent1 the    

base1 and nefarious assassinations1     
which have clouded the vivid prospect   
that began to spread a ray of joy  and  
gladness over the gloomy horizon of     
oppression1 cannot fail to chill  the   
sympathizing bosom1 and palsy           
intellectual vigour4 ,to sketch these   
vicissitudes is a task so arduous and   
melancholy1 that1 with a heart          
trembling to the touches of nature1 it  
becomes necessary to guard  against the 
erroneous inferences of sensibility2 and
 reason beaming on  the grand theatre of
 political changes1 can prove the only  
sure guide to  direct us to a favourable
 or just conclusion4    ,this important 
conclusion1 involving the happiness and 
exaltation of the  human character1     
demands serious and mature              
consideration2 as it must  ultimately   
sink the dignity of society into        
contempt1 and its members  into greater 
wretchedness2 or elevate it to a degree 
of grandeur not  hitherto anticipated1  
but by the most enlightened statesmen   

and  philosophers4    ,contemplating    
then these stupendous events with the   
cool eye of  observation1 the judgement1
 difficult to be preserved unwarped     
under the  pressure of the calamitous   
horrours produced by desperate and      
enraged  factions1 will continually     
perceive that it is the uncontaminated  
mass  of the french nation1 whose minds 
begin to grasp the sentiments of        
freedom1 that has secured the           
equilibrium of the state2 often         
tottering  on the brink of annihilation2
 in spite of the folly1 selfishness1    
madness1 treachery1 and more fatal mock 
patriotism1 the common result of        
depraved manners1 the concomitant of    
that servility and voluptuousness  which
 for so long a space of time has        
embruted the higher orders of this      
celebrated nation4    ,by thus attending
 to circumstances1 we shall be able to  
discern clearly  that the revolution was
 neither produced by the abilities or   
intrigues  of a few individuals2 nor was

 the effect of sudden and short-lived   
enthusiasm2 but the natural consequence 
of intellectual improvement1  gradually 
proceeding to perfection in the         
advancement of communities1  from a     
state of barbarism to that of polished  
society1 till now arrived  at the point 
when sincerity of principles seems to be
 hastening the  overthrow of the        
tremendous empire of superstition and   
hypocrisy1  erected upon the ruins of   
gothic brutality and ignorance4         
,,contents4                             
,,book ,i4                              
,,chapter ,i4     ,introduction4        
,progress of society4 ,end of           
government4 ,rise of     political      
discussion amongst the french4          
,revolution in     ,america4 ,virtue    
attempted to be built on false          
principles4     ,the croisades1 and the 
age of chivalry4 ,administration of     
,richelieu1 and of ,cardinal ,mazarin4  
,theatrical     entertainments1 and     
dramatic poets of the                   

french--,moliere1--,corneille1--,racine4
 ,louis ,,xiv4 ,the     regency4--,louis
 ,,xv4                                  
page #a4                                
,,chap4 ,,ii4     ,marie-,antoinette4   
,louis ,,xvi4 ,administration of        
,necker1 and of     ,calonne4 ,notables 
convened4 ,calonne disgraced1--and      
obliged to     flee the kingdom4 ,his   
character4 ,causes of the enslaved state
     of ,europe4                        
p4 #cc4                                 
,,chap4 ,,iii4     ,administration of de
 ,brienne4 ,dissolution of the notables4
     ,land tax and stamp duty           
recommended by them1 but refused to     
be sanctioned by the parliament4 ,bed of
 justice4 ,the     parliament banished  
to ,troyes1--but soon compromised for   
its     recall4 ,struggles of the court 
party to prevent the     convocation of 
the states-general4 ,banishment of the  
duke of     ,orleans1 and two spirited  
members of the parliament4 ,cour        
plniere4 ,remarks on the parliaments4   

,imprisonment of the     members4       
,deputies of the ,province of ,britanny 
sent to the     ,bastille4 ,the soldiery
 let loose upon the people4             
p4 #dh4                                 
,,chap4  ,,iv4     ,necker recalled4    
,his character4 ,notables convened a    
second     time4 ,coalition of the      
nobility and clergy in defence of       
their privileges4 ,provincial assemblies
 of the people4     ,political          
publications in favour of the           
tiers-etat4 ,general     reflections on 
reform1--on the present state of        
,europe1--and on     the revolution in  
,france4                                
p4 #ei4                                 
,,book ,,ii4                            
,,chap4  ,i4     ,retrospective view of 
grievances in ,france--the nobles--the  
military--the clergy--the farmers       
general4 ,election of deputies     to   
the states-general4 ,arts of the        
courtiers4 ,assembly of the     states4 
,riots excited at ,paris4 ,opening of   

the     states-general4 ,the king's     
speech4 ,answer to it by the keeper     
of the seals4 ,speech of ,mr4 ,necker4  
,contest respecting the     mode of     
assembling4 ,tacit establishment of the 
liberty of the     press4 ,attempt of   
the court to refrain it4 ,the deputies  
declare themselves a national assembly4 
p4 #ge4                                 
,,chap4  ,,ii4     ,the national        
assembly proceed to business4           
,opposition of the     nobles1 bishops1 
and court4 ,a sance royale proclaimed1  
and     the hall of the assembly        
surrounded by soldiers4 ,the members    
adjourn to the tennis-court1 and vow    
never to separate till a                
constitution should be completed4 ,the  
majority of the clergy     and two of   
the nobles join the commons4 ,sance     
royale4 ,the     king's speech4         
,spirited behaviour of the assembly4    
,speech of     ,mirabeau4 ,persons of   
the deputies declared inviolable4       
,minority of the nobles join the        

commons4 ,at the request of     the king
 the minority of the clergy do the      
same1--and are at     length followed by
 the majority of the nobles4 ,character 
of     the queen of ,france1--of the    
king1--and of the nobles4 ,lectures     
on liberty at the palais royal4 ,paris  
surrounded by troops4     ,spirit of    
liberty infused into the soldiers4      
,eleven of the     french guards        
imprisoned because they would not fire  
on the     populace1 and liberated by   
the people4 ,remonstrance of the        
national assembly4 ,the king proposes to
 remove the assembly     to ,noyon1 or  
,soissons4 ,necker dismissed4 ,city     
militia     proposed4 ,the populace     
attacked in the garden of the           
,thuilleries by the prince of ,lambesc4 
,nocturnal orgies at     ,versailles4   
p4 #aji4                                
,,chap4 ,,iii4     ,preparations of the 
parisians for the defence of the city4  
,the     guards1 and city watch join the
 citizens4 ,the armed citizens          

appoint a commander in chief4 ,conduct  
of the national     assembly during the 
disturbances at ,paris4 ,they publish a 
declaration of rights1--and offer their 
mediation with the     citizens1--which 
is haughtily refused by the king4       
,proceedings     at ,paris on the #adth 
of ,july4 ,taking of the bastille4 ,the 
mayor shot4 ,proceedings of the national
 assembly at     ,versailles4           
,appearance of the king in the assembly4
 ,his     speech4                       
p4 #afe4                                
,,chap4 ,,iv4     ,reflections on the   
conduct of the court and king4          
,injurious     consequences of the      
complication of laws4 ,general diffusion
     of knowledge4 ,state of            
civilization amongst the ancients4      
,it's progress4 ,the croisades1 and the 
reformation4 ,early     freedom of      
,britain4 ,the british constitution4    
,state of     liberty in ,europe4       
,russia4 ,decline of the ,aristotelian  
philosophy1 ,descartes4 ,newton4        

,education improved4 ,germany4          
,frederick ,,ii4 of ,prussia4           
p4 #bae4                                
,,book ,,iii4                           
,,chap4 ,i4     ,a deputation of the    
national assembly arrives at ,paris4    
,baillie chosen mayor1 and ,la ,fayette 
commander in chief of     the national  
guards4 ,resignation of the ministry4   
,necker     recalled4 ,the king visits  
,paris4 ,character of the parisians4    
,the revolution urged on prematurely4   
,emigrations of several     of the      
nobility and others4 ,calonne advises   
the french     princes to stir up       
foreign powers against ,france4 ,foulon 
killed4                                 
p4 #bda4                                
,,chap4 ,,ii4     ,the duke of          
,liancourt chosen president4 ,the people
 arm for the     defence of the country4
 ,the municipal officers appointed      
under the old government superseded by  
committees4 ,some     people            
treacherously destroyed by springing a  

mine at a civic     feast4 ,the genevese
 resident taken up by the patrole4 ,the 
french suspicious of the designs of     
,britain4 ,necker returns4     ,general 
amnesty resolved by the debtors of      
,paris4 ,debate on a     declaration of 
rights4 ,declaration of rights separate 
from     the constitution determined on4
 ,sacrifices made by the     nobles1    
clergy1 c4                              
p4 #bfc4                                
,,chap4 ,,iii4     ,reflections on the  
members of the national assembly4       
,secession     of several               
pseudo-patriots4 ,society ripe for      
improvement     throughout ,europe4 ,war
 natural to men in a savage state4      
,remarks on the origin and progress of  
society4 ,the                           
arts--property--inequality of           
conditions--war4 ,picture of     manners
 in modern ,france4                     
p4 #bie4                                
,,book ,,iv4                            
,,chap4 ,i4     ,opinions on the        

transactions of the fourth of ,august4  
,disorders occasioned by those          
transactions4 ,necker demands     the   
assembly's sanction to a loan4 ,a loan  
decreed4 ,tithes     abolished4 ,debate 
on the declaration of rights4 ,the      
formation     of a constitution4 ,debate
 on the executive power4 ,the           
suspensive veto adopted4 ,pretended and 
real views of the     combination of    
despots against ,france4 ,debate on the 
constitution of a senate4 ,means of     
peaceably effecting a     reform should 
make a part of every constitution4      
p4 #cac4                                
,,chap4 ,,ii4     ,observations on the  
veto4 ,the women offer up their         
ornaments     to the public4 ,debate    
whether the spanish branch of the       
,bourbons could reign in ,france4       
,conduct of the king     respecting the 
decrees of the fourth of ,august4       
,vanity of the     french4 ,debates on  
quartering a thousand regulars at       
,versailles4 ,individuals offer their   

jewels and plate to make     up the     
deficiency of the loan4 ,the king sends 
his rich     service of plate to the    
mint4 ,necker's proposal for every      
citizen to give up a fourth of his      
income4 ,speech of ,mirabeau     on it4 
,his address to the nation4             
p4 #cei4                                
,,chap4 ,,iii4     ,reflections on the  
new mode of raising supplies4 ,no just  
system of taxation yet established4     
,paper money4 ,necessity of     gradual 
reform4                                 
p4 #chh4                                
,,book ,v4                              
,,chap4 ,i4     ,errour of the national 
assembly in neglecting to secure the    
freedom of ,france4 ,it's conduct       
compared with that of the     american  
states4 ,necessity of forming a new     
constitution as     soon as an old      
government is destroyed4 ,the declaring 
of the     king inviolable a wrong      
measure4 ,security of the french        
against a counter-revolution4 ,the      

flight of the king     meditated4       
p4 #cii4                                
,,chap4 ,,ii4     ,entertainment at     
,versailles4 ,the national cockade      
trampled     under foot4 ,a mob of women
 proceed to the htel-de-ville--and      
thence to ,versailles4 ,the king's reply
 to the national     assembly's request1
 that he would sanction the declaration 
of     rights and the first articles of 
the constitution4 ,debates on     it4   
,arrival of the mob at ,versailles4 ,the
 king receives a     deputation from the
 women1 and sanctions the decree for the
     free circulation of grain4 ,the    
assembly summoned4 ,la ,fayette         
arrives with the parisian militia4 ,the 
palace attacked by the     mob--who are 
dispersed by the national guards4       
,reflections on     the conduct of the  
duke of ,orleans4                       
p4 #dbj4                                
,,chap4 ,,iii4     ,the mob demand the  
king's removal to ,paris4 ,this city    
described4 ,the king repairs to the     

capital1 escorted by a     deputation of
 the national assembly and the parisian 
militia4     ,the king's title changed4 
,proceedings of the national            
assembly4 ,reflections on the           
declaration of rights4          p4 #dgj4
                                        
,,chap4 ,,iv4     ,progress of reform4  
,the encyclopedia4 ,liberty of the      
press4     ,capitals4 ,the french not   
properly qualified for the              
revolution4 ,savage compared with       
civilized man4 ,effects of              
extravagance--of commerce--and of       
manufactures4 ,excuse for the           
ferocity of the parisians4              
p4 #dib4                                
,,an                                    
,,historical ,,and ,,moral ,,view       
,,of ,,the                              
,,french ,,revolution4                  
,,book ,i4                              
,,chapter ,i4  ,,introduction4          
,,progress ,,of ,,society4 ,,end ,,of   
,,government4 ,,rise ,,of ,,political   

,,discussion ,,amongst ,,the ,,french4  
,,revolution ,,in ,,america4 ,,virtue   
,,attempted  ,,to ,,be ,,built ,,on     
,,false ,,principles4 ,,the ,,croisades1
 ,,and ,,the ,,age ,,of ,,chivalry4     
,,administration ,,of ,,richelieu1 ,,and
 ,,of ,,cardinal ,,mazarin4 ,,theatrical
                 ,,entertainments1 ,,and
 ,,dramatic ,,poets ,,of ,,the          
,,french1--,,moliere1--,,corneille1--,,r
acine4 ,,louis ,,xiv4 ,,the ,,regency4  
,,louis ,,xv4      ,when we contemplate 
the infancy of man1 his gradual advance 
towards  maturity1 his miserable        
weakness as a solitary being1 and the   
crudeness  of his first notions         
respecting the nature of civil society1 
it will not  appear extraordinary1 that 
the acquirement of political knowledge  
has  been so extremely slow2 or that    
public happiness has not been more      
rapidly and generally diffused4    ,the 
perfection attained by the ancients1 it 
is true1 has ever afforded  the         
imagination of the poetical historian a 

theme to deck with the  choicest flowers
 of rhetoric2 though the cool           
investigation of facts  seems clearly to
 prove1 that the civilization of the    
world1 hitherto1  has consisted rather  
in cultivating the taste1 than in       
exercising the  understanding4 ,and were
 not these vaunted improvements also    
confined to  a small corner of the      
globe1 whilst1 the political view of the
 wisest  legislators seldom extending   
beyond the splendour and aggrandizement 
of  their individual nation1 they       
trampled with a ferocious affectation of
  patriotism on the most sacred rights  
of humanity8 ,when the arts  flourished 
in ,greece1 and literature began to shed
 it's blandishments on  society1 the    
world was mostly inhabited by           
barbarians1 who waged eternal  war with 
their more polished neighbours1 the     
imperfection of whose  government       
sapping it's foundation1 the science of 
politics necessarily  received a check  
in the bud--and when we find1 likewise1 

the roman empire  crumbling into atoms1 
from the germ of a deadly malady        
implanted in it's  vitals2 whilst       
voluptuousness stopped the progress of  
civilization1  which makes the          
perfection of the arts the dawn of      
science2 we shall be  convinced1 that it
 demanded ages of improving reason and  
experience in  moral philosophy1 to     
clear away the rubbish1 and exhibit the 
first  principles of social order4      
,we have probably derived our great     
superiority over those nations from  the
 discovery of the polar attraction of   
the needle1 the perfection  which       
astronomy and mathematics have attained1
 and the fortunate  invention of        
printing4 ,for1 whilst the revival of   
letters has added the  collected wisdom 
of antiquity to the improvements of     
modern research1  the latter most useful
 art has rapidly multiplied copies of   
the  productions of genius and          
compilations of learning1 bringing them 
within  the reach of all ranks of men3  

the scientific discoveries also have not
  only led us to new worlds2 but1       
facilitating the communication between  
different nations1 the friction of arts 
and commerce have given to  society the 
transcendently pleasing polish of       
urbanity2 and thus1 by a  gradual       
softening of manners1 the complexion of 
social life has been  completely        
changed4 ,but the remains of            
superstition1 and the unnatural         
distinction of privileged classes1 which
 had their origin in barbarous  folly1  
still fettered the opinions of man1 and 
sullied his native  dignity2 till       
several distinguished english writers   
discussed political  subjects with the  
energy of men1 who began to feel their  
strength2 and1  whilst only a rumour of 
these sentiments roused the attention   
and  exercised the minds of some men of 
letters in ,france1 a number of  staunch
 disputants1 who had more thoroughly    
digested them1 fled from  oppression1 to
 put them to the test of experience in  

,america4    ,locke1 following the track
 of these bold thinkers1 recommended in 
a more  methodical manner religious     
toleration1 and analyzed the principles 
of  civil liberty3 for in his definition
 of liberty we find the elements of     
,the ,declaration of the ,rights of     
,man1 which1 in spite of the fatal      
errours of ignorance1 and the perverse  
obstinacy of selfishness1 is now        
converting sublime theories into        
practical truths4    ,the revolution1 it
 is true1 soon introduced the           
corruption1 that has  ever since been   
corroding british freedom4--,still1 when
 the rest of  ,europe groaned under the 
weight of the most unjust and cruel     
laws1 the  life and property of         
englishmen were comparatively safe2 and1
 if an  impress-warrant respected the   
distinction of ranks1 when the glory of 
,england was at stake1 splendid         
victories hid this flaw in the best     
existing constitution2 and all          
exultingly recollected1 that the life or

  liberty of a man never depended on the
 will of an individual4    ,englishmen  
were then1 with reason1 proud of their  
constitution2 and1 if  this noble pride 
have degenerated into arrogance1 when   
the cause became  less conspicuous1 it  
is only a venial lapse of human nature2 
to be  lamented merely as it stops the  
progress of civilization1 and leads the 
people to imagine1 that their ancestors 
have done every thing possible  to      
secure the happiness of society1 and    
meliorate the condition of man1  because
 they have done much4    ,when learning 
was confined to a small number of the   
citizens of a state1  and the           
investigation of it's privileges was    
left to a number still  smaller1        
governments seem to have acted1 as if   
the people were formed  only for them2  
and1 ingeniously confounding their      
rights with  metaphysical jargon1 the   
luxurious grandeur of individuals has   
been  supported by the misery of the    
bulk of their fellow creatures1 and     

ambition gorged by the butchery of      
millions of innocent victims4    ,the   
most artful chain of despotism has ever 
been supported by false  notions of     
duty1 enforced by those who were to     
profit by the cheat4 ,thus  has the     
liberty of man been restrained2 and the 
spontaneous flow of his  feelings1 which
 would have fertilized his mind1 being  
choked at the  source1 he is rendered in
 the same degree unhappy as he is made  
unnatural4 ,yet1 certain opinions1      
planted by superstition and despotism1  
hand in hand1 have taken such deep root 
in our habits of thinking1 it  may      
appear daringly licentious1 as well as  
presumptuous1 to observe1  that what is 
often termed virtue1 is only want of    
courage to throw off  prejudices1 and   
follow the inclinations which fear not  
the eye of  heaven1 though they shrink  
from censure not founded on the natural 
principles of morality4 ,but at no      
period has the scanty diffusion of      
knowledge permitted the body of the     

people to participate in the  discussion
 of political science2 and if philosophy
 at length have  simplified the         
principles of social union1 so as to    
render them easy to  be comprehended by 
every sane and thinking being2 if       
appears to me1 that  man may contemplate
 with benevolent complacency and        
becoming pride1 the  approaching reign  
of reason and peace4    ,besides1 if men
 have been rendered unqualified to judge
 with precision  of their civil and     
political rights1 from the involved     
state in which  sophisticating ignorance
 has placed them1 and thus reduced to   
surrender  their reasoning powers to    
noble fools1 and pedantic knaves1 it is 
not  surprizing1 that superficial       
observers have formed opinions          
unfavourable  to the degree of          
perfection1 which our intellectual      
faculties are able  to attain1 or that  
despotism should attempt to check the   
spirit of  inquiry1 which1 with         
colossian strides1 seems to be hastening

 the  overthrow of oppressive tyranny   
and contumelious ambition4    ,nature   
having made men unequal1 by giving      
stronger bodily and mental  powers to   
one than to another1 the end of         
government ought to be1 to  destroy this
 inequality by protecting the weak4     
,instead of which1 it has  always leaned
 to the opposite side1 wearing itself   
out by disregarding  the first principle
 of it's organization4    ,it appears to
 be the grand province of government1   
though scarcely  acknowledged1 so to    
hold the balance1 that the abilities or 
riches of  individuals may not interfere
 with the equilibrium of the whole4     
,for1 as  it is vain to expect1 that men
 should master their passions during the
  heat of action1 legislators should    
have this perfection of laws ever in    
view1 when1 calmly grasping the interest
 of humanity1 reason assures  them1 that
 their own is best secured by the       
security of the commonweal4  ,the first 
social systems were certainly founded by

 passion2 individuals  wishing to fence 
round their own wealth or power1 and    
make slaves of  their brothers to       
prevent encroachment4 ,their descendants
 have ever been  at work to solder the  
chains they forged1 and render the      
usurpations of  strength secure1 by the 
fraud of partial laws3 laws that can be 
abrogated only by the exertions of      
reason1 emancipating mankind1 by  making
 government a science1 instead of a     
craft1 and civilizing the  grand mass1  
by exercising their understandings about
 the most important  objects of inquiry4
    ,after the revolution in #afhh1     
however1 political questions were no    
longer discussed in ,england on a broad 
scale2 because that degree of  liberty  
was enjoyed1 which enabled thinking men 
to pursue without  interruption their   
own business2 or1 if some men           
complained1 they  attached themselves to
 a party1 and descanted on the          
unavoidable misery  produced by         
contending passions4    ,but in ,france 

the bitterness of oppression was mingled
 in the daily cup1  and the serious     
folly of superstition1 pampered by the  
sweat of labour1  stared every man of   
sense in the face4 ,against superstition
 then did the  writers contending for   
civil liberty principally direct their  
force1  though the tyranny of the court 
increased with it's viciousness4        
,voltaire leading the way1 and          
ridiculing with that happy mixture of   
satire and gaiety1 calculated to delight
 the french1 the inconsistent           
puerilities of a puppet-show religion1  
had the art to attach the bells  to the 
fool's cap1 which tinkled on every side1
 rousing the attention  and piquing the 
vanity of his readers4 ,rousseau also   
ranged himself on  the same side2 and1  
praising his fanciful state of nature1  
with that  interesting eloquence1 which 
embellishes reasoning with the charms of
  sentiment1 forcibly depicted the evils
 of a priest-ridden society1 and  the   
sources of oppressive inequality1       

inducing the men who were charmed  with 
his language to consider his opinions4  
,the talents of these two writers were  
particularly formed to effect a  change 
in the sentiments of the french1 who    
commonly read to collect a  fund for    
conversation2 and their biting retorts1 
and flowing periods1  were retained in  
each head1 and continually slipped off  
the tongue in  numerous sprightly       
circles4    ,in ,france1 indeed1 new    
opinions fly from mouth to mouth1 with  
an  electrical velocity1 unknown in     
,england2 so that there is not such a   
difference between the sentiments of the
 various ranks in one country1  as is   
observable in the originality of        
character to be found in the  other4 ,at
 our theatres1 the boxes1 pit1 and      
galleries1 relish different  scenes2 and
 some are condescendingly born by the   
more polished part of  the audience1 to 
allow the rest to have their portion of 
amusement4 ,in  ,france1 on the         
contrary1 a highly wrought sentiment of 

morality1  probably rather romantic than
 sublime1 produces a burst of applause1 
when one heart seems to agitate every   
hand4    ,but men are not content merely
 to laugh at oppression1 when they can  
scarcely catch from his gripe the       
necessaries of life2 so that from       
writing epigrams on superstition1 the   
galled french began to compose          
philippics against despotism4 ,the      
enormous and iniquitous taxes1 which    
the nobles1 the clergy1 and the monarch1
 levied on the people1 turned  the      
attention of benevolence to this main   
branch of government1 and the  profound 
treatise of the humane ,m4 ,quesnai     
produced the sect of the  economists1   
the first champions for civil liberty4  
,on the eve of the american war1 the    
enlightened administration of the       
comptroller general ,turgot1 a man      
formed in this school1 afforded ,france 
a glimpse of freedom1 which1 streaking  
the horizon of despotism1 only  served  
to render the contrast more striking4   

,eager to correct abuses1  equally      
impolitic and cruel1 this most excellent
 man1 suffering his  clear judgment to  
be clouded by his zeal1 roused the nest 
of wasps1 that  rioted on the honey of  
industry in the sunshine of court       
favour2 and he  was obliged to retire   
from the office1 which he so worthily   
filled4  ,disappointed in his noble plan
 of freeing ,france from the fangs of   
despotism1 in the course of ten years1  
without the miseries of anarchy1  which 
make the present generation pay very    
dear for the emancipation of  posterity1
 he has nevertheless greatly contributed
 to produce that  revolution in opinion1
 which1 perhaps1 alone can overturn the 
empire of  tyranny4    ,the idle        
caprices of an effeminate court had long
 given the tone to the  awe-struck      
populace1 who1 stupidly admiring what   
they did not  understand1 lived on a    
vive le roi1 whilst his blood-sucking   
minions  drained every vein1 that should
 have warmed their honest hearts4       

,but the irresistible energy of the     
moral and political sentiments of  half 
a century1 at last kindled into a blaze 
the illuminating rays of  truth1 which1 
throwing new light on the mental powers 
of man1 and giving  a fresh spring to   
his reasoning faculties1 completely     
undermined the  strong holds of         
priestcraft and hypocrisy4    ,at this  
glorious era1 the toleration of         
religious opinions in ,america1  which  
the spirit of the times1 when that      
continent was peopled with  persecuted  
europeans1 produced1 aided1 not a       
little1 to diffuse these  rational      
sentiments1 and exhibited the phenomenon
 of a government  established on the    
basis of reason and equality4 ,the eyes 
of all ,europe  were watchfully fixed on
 the practical success of this          
experiment in  political science2 and   
whilst the crowns of the old world were 
drawing  into their focus the           
hard-earned recompense of the toil and  
care of the  simple citizens1 who lived 

detached from courts1 deprived of the   
comforts of life1 the just reward of    
industry1 or1 palsied by  oppression1   
pined in dirt and idleness2 the         
anglo-americans appeared to  be another 
race of beings1 men formed to enjoy the 
advantages of  society1 and not merely  
to benefit those who governed2 the use  
to which  they had been appropriated in 
almost every state2 considered only as  
the  ballast which keeps the vessel     
steady1 necessary1 yet despised4 ,so    
conspicuous in fact was the difference1 
that1 when1 frenchmen became the        
auxiliaries of those brave people1      
during their noble struggle against  the
 tyrannical and inhuman ambition of the 
british court1 it imparted to  them that
 stimulus1 which alone was wanting to   
give wings to freedom1  who1 hovering   
over ,france1 led her indignant votaries
 to wreak their  vengeance on the       
tottering fabric of a government1 the   
foundation of  which had been laid by   
benighted ignorance1 and it's walls     

cemented by  the calamities of millions 
that mock calculation--and1 in it's     
ruins a  system was entombed1 the most  
baneful to human happiness and virtue4  
,america fortunately found herself in a 
situation very different from all  the  
rest of the world2 for she had it in her
 power to lay the first  stones of her  
government1 when reason was venturing to
 canvass  prejudice4 ,availing herself  
of the degree of civilization of the    
world1  she has not retained those      
customs1 which were only the expedients 
of  barbarism2 or thought that          
constitutions formed by chance1 and     
continually patched up1 were superiour  
to the plans of reason1 at  liberty to  
profit by experience4    ,when society  
was first regulated1 the laws could not 
be adjusted so as  to take in the future
 conduct of it's members1 because the   
faculties of  man are unfolded and      
perfected by the improvements made by   
society3  consequently the regulations  
established as circumstances required   

were  very imperfect4 ,what then is to  
hinder man1 at each epoch of            
civilization1 from making a stand1 and  
new modelling the materials1 that  have 
been hastily thrown into a rude mass1   
which time alone has  consolidated and  
rendered venerable8    ,when society was
 first subjugated to laws1 probably by  
the ambition of  some1 and the desire of
 safety in all1 it was natural for men  
to be  selfish1 because they were       
ignorant how intimately their own       
comfort was  connected with that of     
others2 and it was also very natural1   
that  humanity1 rather the effect of    
feeling than of reason1 should have a   
very limited range4 ,but1 when men once 
see1 clear as the light of  heaven1--and
 ,i hail the glorious day from          
afar6--that on the general  happiness   
depends their own1 reason will give     
strength to the fluttering  wings of    
passion1 and men will 8do unto others1  
what they wish they  should do unto     
them40    ,what has hitherto been the   

political perfection of the world8 ,in  
the two  most celebrated nations it has 
only been a polish of manners1 an       
extension of that family love1 which is 
rather the effect of sympathy  and      
selfish passions1 than reasonable       
humanity4 ,and in what has ended  their 
so much extolled patriotism8 ,in vain   
glory and barbarity--every  page of     
history proclaims4 ,and why has the     
enthusiasm for virtue thus  passed away 
like the dew of the morning1 dazzling   
the eyes of it's  admirers8             
,why8--because it was factitious virtue4
    ,during the period they had to      
combat against oppression1 and rear an  
infant state1 what instances of heroism 
do not the annals of ,greece and  ,rome 
display6 ,but it was merely the blaze of
 passion1 8live smoke20 for  after      
vanquishing their enemies1 and making   
the most astonishing  sacrifices to the 
glory of their country1 they became     
civil tyrants1 and  preyed on the very  
society1 for whose welfare it was easier

 to die1 than  to practise the sober    
duties of life1 which insinuate through 
it the  contentment that is rather felt 
than seen4 ,like the parents who forget 
all the dictates of justice and         
humanity1 to aggrandize the very        
children whom they keep in a state of   
dependence1 these heroes loved  their   
country1 because it was their country1  
ever showing by their  conduct1 that it 
was only a part of a narrow love of     
themselves4    ,it is time1 that a more 
enlightened moral love of mankind should
  supplant1 or rather support physical  
affections4 ,it is time1 that the  youth
 approaching manhood should be led by   
principles1 and not hurried  along by   
sensations--and then we may expect1 that
 the heroes of the  present generation1 
still having their monsters to cope     
with1 will  labour to establish such    
rational laws throughout the world1 that
 men  will not rest in the dead letter1 
or become artificial beings as they     
become civilized4    ,we must get       

entirely clear of all the notions drawn 
from the wild  traditions of original   
sin3 the eating of the apple1 the theft 
of  ,prometheus1 the opening of         
,pandora's box1 and the other fables1   
too  tedious to enumerate1 on which     
priests have erected their tremendous   
structures of imposition1 to persuade   
us1 that we are naturally inclined  to  
evil3 we shall then leave room for the  
expansion of the human heart1  and1 ,i  
trust1 find1 that men will insensibly   
render each other happier  as they grow 
wiser4 ,it is indeed the necessity of   
stifling many of it's  most spontaneous 
desires1 to obtain the factitious       
virtues of society1  that makes man     
vicious1 by depriving him of that       
dignity of character1  which rests only 
on truth4 ,for it is not paradoxical to 
assert1 that the  social virtues are    
nipt in the bud by the very laws of     
society4 ,one  principal of action is   
sufficient--,respect thyself--whether it
 be termed  fear of ,god--religion2 love

 of justice--morality2 or1              
self-love--the desire  of happiness4    
,yet1 how can a man respect himself2 and
 if not1 how  believe in the existence  
of virtue2 when he is practising the    
daily  shifts1 which do not come under  
the cognisance of the law1 in order to  
obtain a respectable situation in life8 
,it seems1 in fact1 to be the  business 
of a civilized man1 to harden his heart1
 that on it he may  sharpen the wit2    
which1 assuming the appellation of      
sagacity1 or  cunning1 in different     
characters1 is only a proof1 that the   
head is  clear1 because the heart is    
cold4    ,besides1 one great cause of   
misery in the present imperfect state of
  society is1 that the imagination1     
continually tantalized1 becomes the     
inflated wen of the mind1 draining off  
the nourishment from the vital  parts4  
,nor would it1 ,i think1 be stretching  
the inference too far1 to  insist1 that 
men become vicious in the same          
proportion as they are  obliged1 by the 

defects of society1 to submit to a kind 
of self-denial1  which ignorance1 not   
morals1 prescribes4    ,but these evils 
are passing away2 a new spirit has gone 
forth1 to  organise the body-politic2   
and where is the criterion to be found1 
to  estimate the means1 by which the    
influence of this spirit can be         
confined1 now enthroned in the hearts of
 half the inhabitants of the  globe8    
,reason has1 at last1 shown her         
captivating face1 beaming with          
benevolence2 and it will be impossible  
for the dark hand of despotism  again to
 obscure it's radiance1 or the lurking  
dagger of subordinate  tyrants to reach 
her bosom4 ,the image of ,god implanted 
in our nature is  now more rapidly      
expanding2 and1 as it opens1 liberty    
with maternal wing  seems to be soaring 
to regions far above vulgar annoyance1  
promising to  shelter all mankind4      
,it is a vulgar errour1 built on a      
superficial view of the subject1  though
 it seems to have the sanction of       

experience1 that civilization  can only 
go as far as it has hitherto gone1 and  
then must necessarily  fall back into   
barbarism4 ,yet thus much appears       
certain1 that a state  will infallibly  
grow old and feeble1 if hereditary      
riches support  hereditary rank1 under  
any description4 ,but when courts and   
primogeniture are done away1 and simple 
equal laws are established1 what  is to 
prevent each generation from retaining  
the vigour of youth8--,what  can weaken 
the body or mind1 when the great        
majority of society must  exercise both1
 to earn a subsistence1 and acquire     
respectability8    ,the french          
revolution is a strong proof how far    
things will govern men1  when simple    
principles begin to act with one        
powerful spring against the  complicated
 wheels of ignorance2 numerous in       
proportion to their  weakness1 and      
constantly wanting repair1 because      
expedients of the  moment are ever the  
spawn of cowardly folly1 or the narrow  

calculations  of selfishness4 ,to       
elucidate this truth1 it is not         
necessary to rake  among the ashes of   
barbarous ambition2 to show the         
ignorance and  consequent folly of the  
monarchs1 who ruled with a rod of iron1 
when the  hordes of european savages    
began to form their governments2 though 
the  review of this portion of history  
would clearly prove1 that narrowness  of
 mind naturally produces ferociousness  
of temper4    ,we may boast of the      
poetry of those ages1 and of those      
charming flights  of imagination1 which1
 during the paroxysms of passion1 flash 
out in  those single acts of heroic     
virtue1 that throw a lustre over a whole
  thoughtless life2 but the cultivation 
of the understanding1 in spite of  these
 northern lights1 appears to be the only
 way to tame men1 whose  restlessness of
 spirit creates the vicious passions1   
that lead to  tyranny and cruelty4 ,when
 the body is strong1 and the blood warm1
 men do  not like to think1 or adopt any

 plan of conduct1 unless broken-in by   
degrees3 the force that has often spent 
itself in fatal activity becomes  a rich
 source of energy of mind4    ,men      
exclaim1 only noticing the evil1 against
 the luxury introduced with  the arts   
and sciences2 when it is obviously the  
cultivation of these  alone1            
emphatically termed the arts of peace1  
that can turn the sword  into a         
ploughshare4 ,war is the adventure      
naturally pursued by the idle1  and it  
requires something of this species1 to  
excite the strong emotions  necessary to
 rouse inactive minds4 ,ignorant people1
 when they appear to  reflect1 exercise 
their imagination more than their       
understanding2  indulging reveries1     
instead of pursuing a train of thinking2
 and thus  grow romantic1 like the      
croisaders2 or like women1 who are      
commonly idle  and restless4    ,if we  
turn then with disgust from ensanguined 
regal pomp1 and the  childish rareeshows
 that amuse the enslaved multitude1 we  

shall feel  still more contempt for the 
order of men1 who cultivated their      
faculties1 only to enable them to       
consolidate their power1 by leading  the
 ignorant astray2 making the learning   
they concentrated in their  cells1 a    
more polished instrument of oppression4 
,struggling with so many  impediments1  
the progress of useful knowledge for    
several ages was  scarcely perceptible2 
though respect for the public opinion1  
that great  softner of manners1 and only
 substitute for moral principles1 was   
gaining ground4    ,the croisades1      
however1 gave a shake to society1 that  
changed it's face2  and the spirit of   
chivalry1 assuming a new character      
during the reign of  the gallant        
,francis the first1 began to meliorate  
the ferocity of the  ancient gauls and  
franks4 ,the point d'honneur being      
settled1 the  character of a gentleman1 
held ever since so dear in ,france1 was 
gradually formed2 and this kind of      
bastard morality1 frequently the only   

substitute for all the ties that nature 
has rendered sacred1 kept those  men    
within bounds1 who obeyed no other law4 
,the same spirit mixed with the         
sanguinary treachery of the ,guises1 and
  gave support to the manly dignity of  
,henry the fourth1 on whom nature  had  
bestowed that warmth of constitution1   
tenderness of heart1 and  rectitude of  
understanding1 which naturally produce  
an energetic  character4--,a supple     
force1 that1 exciting love1 commands    
esteem4    ,during the ministry of      
,richelieu1 when the dynasty of         
favouritism  commenced1 the arts were   
patronized1 and the italian mode of     
governing  by intrigue tended to weaken 
bodies1 polished by the friction of     
continual finesse4 ,dissimulation       
imperceptibly slides into falshood1 and 
,mazarin1 dissimulation personified1    
paved the way for the imposing pomp  and
 false grandeur of the reign of the     
haughty and inflated ,louis #adth2      
which1 by introducing a taste for       

majestic frivolity1 accelerated the     
perfection of that species of           
civilization1 which consists in the     
refining of the senses at the expence of
 the heart2 the source of all  real     
dignity1 honour1 virtue1 and every noble
 quality of the mind4  ,endeavouring to 
make bigotry tolerate voluptuousness1   
and honour and  licentiousness shake    
hands1 sight was lost of the line of    
distinction1  or vice was hid under the 
mask of it's correlative virtue4 ,the   
glory of  ,france1 a bubble raised by   
the heated breath of the king1 was the  
pretext for undermining happiness2      
whilst politeness took place of         
humanity1 and created that fort of      
dependance1 which leads men to barter   
their corn and wine1 for unwholesome    
mixtures of they know not what1  that1  
flattering a depraved appetite1 destroy 
the tone of the stomach4    ,the feudal 
taste for tournaments and martial feasts
 was now naturally  succeeded by a      
fondness for theatrical entertainments2 

when feats of  valour became too great  
an exertion of the weakened muscles to  
afford  pleasure1 and men found that    
resource in cultivation of mind1 which  
renders activity of body less necessary 
to keep the stream of life from         
stagnating4    ,all the pieces written  
at this period1 except ,moliere's1      
reflected the  manners of the court1 and
 thus perverted the forming taste4 ,that
  extraordinary man alone wrote on the  
grand scale of human passions1 for      
mankind at large1 leaving to inferiour  
authors the task of imitating the       
drapery of manners1 which points out the
 costume of the age4    ,corneille1 like
 our ,dryden1 often tottering on the    
brink of absurdity  and nonsense1 full  
of noble ideas1 which1 crouding         
indistinctly on his  fancy1 he expresses
 obscurely1 still delights his readers  
by sketching  faint outlines of gigantic
 passions2 and1 whilst the charmed      
imagination  is lured to follow him over
 enchanted ground1 the heart is         

sometimes  unexpectedly touched by a    
sublime or pathetic sentiment1 true to  
nature4    ,racine1 soon after1 in      
elegant harmonious language painted the 
manners  of his time1 and with great    
judgement gave a picturesque cast to    
many  unnatural scenes and factitious   
sentiments3 always endeavouring to make 
his characters amiable1 he is unable to 
render them dignified2 and the  refined 
morality1 scattered throughout1 belongs 
to the code of  politeness rather than  
to that of virtue#a4 ,fearing to stray  
from  courtly propriety of behaviour1   
and shock a fastidious audience1 the    
gallantry of his heroes interests only  
the gallant1 and literary people1  whose
 minds are open to different species of 
amusement4 ,he was1 in fact1  the father
 of the french stage4 ,nothing can equal
 the fondness which the  french suck in 
with their milk for public places1      
particularly the  theatre2 and this     
taste1 giving the tone to their conduct1
 has produced  so many stage tricks on  

the grand theatre of the nation1 where  
old  principles vamped up with new      
scenes and decorations1 are continually 
represented4    ,their national         
character is1 perhaps1 more formed by   
their theatrical  amusements1 than is   
generally imagined3 they are in reality 
the schools  of vanity4 ,and1 after this
 kind of education1 is it surprising1   
that  almost every thing is said and    
done for stage effect8 or that cold     
declamatory extasies blaze forth1 only  
to mock the expectation with a  show of 
warmth8    ,thus sentiments spouted from
 the lips come oftner from the head than
 the  heart4 ,indeed natural sentiments 
are only the characters given by the    
imagination to recollected sensations2  
but the french1 by the continual        
gratification of their senses1 stifle   
the reveries of their imagination1      
which always requires to be acted upon  
by outward objects2 and seldom          
reflecting on their feelings1 their     
sensations are ever lively and          

transitory2 exhaled by every passing    
beam1 and dissipated by the  slightest  
storm4    ,if a relish for the broad    
mirth of fun characterize the lower     
class of  english1 the french of every  
denomination are equally delighted with 
a  phosphorical1 sentimental gilding4   
,this is constantly observable at the   
theatres4 ,the passions are deprived of 
all their radical strength1 to  give    
smoothness to the ranting sentiments1   
which1 with mock dignity1  like the     
party-coloured rags on the shrivelled   
branches of the tree of  liberty1 stuck 
up in every village1 are displayed as   
something very  grand and significant4  
,the wars of ,louis were1 likewise1     
theatrical exhibitions2 and the         
business of his life was adjusting      
ceremonials1 of which he himself  became
 the dupe1 when his grandeur was in the 
wane1 and his animal  spirits were      
spent#b4 ,but1 towards the close even of
 his reign1 the  writings of ,fenelon1  
and the conversation of his pupil1 the  

duke of  ,burgundy1 gave rise to        
different political discussions1 of     
which the  theoretical basis was the    
happiness of the people--till death1    
spreading  a huge pall over the family  
and glory of ,louis1 compassion draws   
his  faults under the same awful canopy1
 and we sympathize with the man in      
adversity1 whose prosperity was         
pestiferous4    ,louis1 by imposing on  
the senses of his people1 gave a new    
turn to the  chivalrous humour of the   
age3 for1 with the true spirit of       
quixotism1  the french made a point of  
honour of adoring their king2 and the   
glory  of the grand monarque became the 
national pride1 even when it cost  them 
most dear4    ,as a proof of the        
perversion of mind at that period1 and  
the false  political opinions which     
prevailed1 making the unhappy king the  
slave of  his own despotism1 it is      
sufficient to select one anecdote4    ,a
 courtier assures us1#c that the most   
humiliating circumstance that  ever     

happened to the king1 and one of those  
which gave him most pain1  was the      
publication of a memorial circulated    
with great diligence by his  enemies    
throughout ,france4 ,in this memorial   
the allies invited the  french to demand
 the assembling of their ancient        
states-general4 ,they  tell them1 8that 
the ambition and pride of the king were 
the only causes  of the wars during his 
reign2 and that1 to secure themselves a 
lasting  peace1 it was incumbent on them
 not to lay down their arms till the    
states-general were convoked40    ,it   
almost surpasses belief to add1 that1 in
 spite of the imprisonment1  exile1     
flight1 or execution of two millions of 
french1 this memorial  produced little  
effect4 ,but the king1 who was severely 
hurt1 took care  to have a reply        
written#d2 though he might have         
comforted himself with  the             
recollection1 that1 when they were last 
assembled1 ,louis ,,xiii  dismissed them
 with empty promises1 forgotten as soon 

as made4    ,the enthusiasm of the      
french1 which1 in general1 hurries them 
from one  extreme to another1 at this   
time produced a total change of manners4
    ,during the regency1 vice was not   
only bare-faced1 but audacious2 and the 
tide completely turned3 the hypocrites  
were now all ranged on the other  side1 
the courtiers1 labouring to show their  
abhorrence of religious  hypocrisy1 set 
decency at defiance1 and did violence to
 the modesty of  nature1 when they      
wished to outrage the squeamish         
puerilities of  superstition4    ,in the
 character of the regent we may trace   
all the vices and graces of  false      
refinement2 forming the taste by        
destroying the heart4 ,devoted to       
pleasure1 he so soon exhausted the      
intoxicating cup of all it's sweets1    
that his life was spent in searching    
amongst the dregs1 for the novelty  that
 could give a gasp of life to enjoyment4
 ,the wit1 which at first was  the zest 
of his nocturnal orgies1 soon gave      

place1 as flat1 to the  grossest        
excesses1 in which the principal variety
 was flagitious  immorality4 ,and what  
has he done to rescue his name from     
obloquy1 but  protect a few debauched   
artists and men of letters8 ,his        
goodness of  heart only appeared in     
sympathy4 ,he pitied the distresses of  
the people1  when before his eyes2 and  
as quickly forgot these yearnings of    
heart in  his sensual stye4    ,he often
 related1 with great pleasure1 an       
anecdote of the prior de  ,vendme1 who  
chanced to please a mistress of ,charles
 ,,ii1 and the king  could only get rid 
of his rival by requesting ,louis ,,xiv 
to recall him4    ,at those moments he  
would bestow the warmest praises on the 
english  constitution2 and seemed       
enamoured of liberty1 though authorising
 at the  time the most flagrant         
violations of property1 and despotic    
arts of  cruelty4 ,the only good he did 
his country#e arose from this frivolous 
circumstance2 for introducing the       

fashion of admiring the english1 he  led
 men to read and translate some of their
 masculine writers1 which  greatly      
contributed to rouse the sleeping       
manhood of the french4 ,his  love of the
 fine arts1 however1 has led different  
authors to strew  flowers over his      
unhallowed dust--fit emblem of the      
brilliant qualities1  that ornamented   
only the soil on which they grew4       
,the latter part of the reign of ,louis 
,,xv is notorious for the same          
atrocious debaucheries1 unvarnished by  
wit1 over which modesty would  fain draw
 a veil1 were it not necessary to give  
the last touches to the  portrait of    
that vile despotism1 under the lash of  
which twenty-five  millions of people   
groaned2 till1 unable to endure the     
increasing weight  of oppression1 they  
rose like a vast elephant1 terrible in  
his anger1  treading down with blind    
fury friends as well as foes4           
,impotence of body1 and indolence of    
mind1 rendered ,louis ,,xv the slave of 

his mistresses1 who sought to forget his
 nauseous embraces in the arms  of      
knaves1 who found their account in      
caressing them4 ,every corner of  the   
kingdom was ransacked to satiate these  
cormorants1 who wrung the  very bowels  
of industry1 to give a new edge to      
sickly appetites2  corrupting the morals
 whilst breaking the spirit of the      
nation4                                 
,,chapter ,,ii4   ,,marie-,,antoinette4 
,,louis ,,xvi4 ,,administration ,,of    
,,necker1 ,,and ,,of ,,calonne4         
,,notables ,,convened4 ,,calonne        
,,disgraced1--,,and ,,obliged ,,to      
,,flee ,,the ,,kingdom4           ,,his 
,,character4 ,,causes ,,of ,,the        
,,enslaved ,,state ,,of ,,europe4       
,during this general depravation of     
manners1 the young and beautiful        
dauphine arrived2 and was received with 
a kind of idolatrous  adoration1 only to
 be seen in ,france2 for the inhabitants
 of the  metropolis1 literally speaking1
 could think and talk of nothing else2  

and in their eagerness to pay homage1 or
 gratify affectionate curiosity1  an    
immense number were killed4    ,in such 
a voluptuous atmosphere1 how could she  
escape contagion8 ,the  profligacy of   
,louis ,,xiv1 when love and war were his
 amusements1 was  soberness1 compared   
with the capricious intemperance of the 
inebriated  imagination at this period4 
,madame du ,barry was then in the zenith
 of  her power1 which quickly excited   
the jealousy of this princess1 whose    
strongest passion was that intolerable  
family pride1 which heated the  blood of
 the whole house of ,austria4 ,an       
inclination for court intrigue1  under  
the mask of the most profound           
dissimulation1 to preserve the  favour  
of ,louis ,,xv1 was instantly called    
into action2 and it soon became  the    
only business of her life1 either to    
gratify resentment1 or cheat  the       
satiety1 which the continual and        
unrestrained indulgence of pleasure     
produced4    ,her character thus formed1

 when she became absolute mistress1 the 
court  of the passive ,louis1 not only  
the most dissolute and abandoned that   
ever displayed the folly of royalty1 but
 audaciously negligent with  respect to 
that attention to decency1 which is     
necessary to delude the  vulgar1 was    
deserted by all persons1 who had any    
regard for their moral  character1 or   
the decorum of appearances4 ,constrained
 by the  etiquette1 which made the      
principal part of the imposing grandeur 
of  ,louis ,,xiv1 the queen wished to   
throw aside the cumbersome brocade of   
ceremony1 without having discernment    
enough to perceive1 that it was         
necessary to lend mock dignity to a     
court1 where there was not  sufficient  
virtue1 or native beauty1 to give       
interest or respectability  to          
simplicity4 ,the harlot is seldom such a
 fool as to neglect her  meretricious   
ornaments1 unless she renounces her     
trade2 and the  pageantry of courts is  
the same thing on a larger scale4 ,the  

lively  predilection1 likewise1 of the  
queen for her native country1 and love  
for her brother ,joseph1 to whom she    
repeatedly sent considerable sums1      
purloined from the public1 tended       
greatly to inspire the most ineffable   
contempt for royalty1 now stript of the 
frippery which had concealed  it's      
deformity3 and the sovereign disgust    
excited by her ruinous vices1           
completely destroying all reverence for 
that majesty1 to which power  alone lent
 dignity1 contempt soon produced hatred4
    ,the infamous transaction of the    
necklace1 in which she was probably the 
dupe of the knaves she fostered1        
exasperated also both the nobility and  
the clergy2 and1 with her messalinian   
feasts at ,trianon1 made her the  common
 mark of ridicule and satire4    ,the   
attention of the people once roused was 
not permitted to sleep2 for  fresh      
circumstances daily occurred1 to give a 
new spring to discussions1  that the    
most iniquitous and heavy taxes brought 

home to every bosom2  till the          
extravagance of the royal family became 
the general subject of  sharpening      
execrations4    ,the king1 who had not  
sufficient resolution to support the    
administration of ,turgot1 whom his     
disposition for moderation had  chosen1 
being at a loss what measures to take1  
called to the helm the  plausible       
,necker4 ,he1 only half comprehending   
the plans of his able  predecessor1 was 
led by his vanity cautiously to adopt   
them2 first  publishing his             
,comte-rendu1 to clear the way to       
popularity4 ,this work  was read with   
astonishing rapidity by all ranks of    
men2 and alarming the  courtiers1       
,necker was1 in his turn1 dismissed4 ,he
 retired to write his  observations on  
the administration of the finances1     
which kept alive the  spirit of inquiry1
 that afterwards broke the talisman of  
courts1 and  showed the disenchanted    
multitude1 that those1 whom they had    
been taught  to respect as supernatural 

beings1 were not indeed men--but        
monsters2  deprived by their station of 
humanity1 and even sympathy4    ,several
 abortive attempts were then made by two
 succeeding ministers1 to  keep alive   
public credit1 and find resources to    
supply the expenditure  of the state1   
and the dissipation of the court1 when  
the king was  persuaded to place the    
specious ,calonne at the head of these  
embarrassed  affairs4    ,during the    
prodigal administration of this man1 who
 acted with an  audacity peculiar to the
 arrogance common in men of superficial 
yet  brilliant talents1 every           
consideration was sacrificed to the     
court2 the  splendid folly and wanton   
prodigality of which eclipsing all that 
has  been related in history1 or told in
 romance1 to amuse wondering fools1     
only served to accelerate the           
destruction of public credit1 and hasten
  the revolution1 by exciting the       
clamourous indignation of the people4   
,numberless destructive expedients of   

the moment brought money into the  state
 coffers1 only to be dissipated by the  
royal family1 and it's train  of        
parasites2 till all failing1 the wish of
 still supporting himself in  a         
situation so desirable as that of       
comptroller general of the finances1    
determined him to convene an assembly of
 notables3 whose very  appellation      
points them out as men in the           
aristocratical interest4    ,louis      
,,xvi1 with a considerable portion of   
common sense1 and a desire to  promote  
useful reformation1 though always       
governed by those around him1  gave     
without hesitation the necessary orders 
for calling together the  assembly1 that
 afforded the wearied nation the most   
pleasing prospect1  because it was a new
 one2 but conveyed to their astonished  
minds at the  same time the knowledge of
 the enormity of a deficit1 which a     
series  of vice and folly had augmented 
beyond all precedent4    ,the           
immoralities of ,calonne1 however1 had  

created a general distrust of  all his  
designs3 but with an overweening        
presumption1 the characteristic  of the 
man1 he still thought1 that he could    
dexterously obtain the  supplies wanted 
to keep the wheels of government in     
motion1 and quiet  the clamours of the  
nation1 by proposing the equalization of
 taxes2  which1 humbling the nobility   
and dignified clergy1 who were thus to  
be  brought down from their privileged  
height1 to the level of citizens1  could
 not fail to be grateful to the rest of 
the nation4 ,and the  parliaments1 he   
concluded1 would not dare to oppose his 
system1 lest  they should draw on       
themselves the distrust and hatred of   
the public4    ,without canvassing      
,calonne's intentions1 which the most   
enlarged  charity1 after his former     
extravagance1 can scarcely suppose to   
have  been the interest of the people1  
moderate men imagined this project      
might have been productive of much good2
 giving the french all the  liberty they

 were able to digest2 and1 warding off  
the tumults that have  since produced so
 many disastrous events1 whilst coolly  
preparing them  for the reception of    
more1 the effervescence of vanity and   
ignorance  would not have rendered their
 heads giddy1 or their hearts savage4   
,yet  some sensible observers1 on the   
contrary1 rather adopted the opinion1   
that as the people had discovered the   
magnitude of the deficit1 they  were now
 persuaded1 that a specific remedy was  
wanting1 a new  constitution2 to cure   
the evils1 which were the excrescences  
of a  gigantic tyranny1 that appeared to
 be draining away the vital juices of   
labour1 to fill the insatiable jaws of  
thousands of fawning slaves and  idle   
sycophants4 ,but though the people      
might1 for the present1 have been       
satisfied with this salutary reform1    
which would gradually have had an       
effect1 reasoning from analogy1 that the
 financier did not take1 into  his      
account1 the nobility were not          

sufficiently enlightened to listen to   
the dictates of justice or prudence4 ,it
 had been1 indeed1 the system of        
ministers1 ever since ,richelieu1 to    
humble the nobles1 to increase the      
power of the court2 and as the ministry1
 the generals1 and the bishops1  were   
always noble1 they aided to support the 
favourite1 who depressed  the whole     
body1 only for the chance of individual 
preferment4 ,but this  bare-faced       
attempt to abolish their privileges     
raised a nest of hornets  about his     
ears1 eager to secure the plunder on    
which they lived2 for by  what other    
name can we call the pensions1 places   
and even estates of  those who1 taxing  
industry1 rioted in idleness duty       
free#f8    ,an approaching national     
bankruptcy was the ostensible reason    
assigned  for the convening of the      
notables in #aghg2 but the convocation1 
in  truth1 ought to be ascribed to the  
voice of reason1 founded through the    
organ of twenty-five millions of human  

beings1 who1 though under the  fetters  
of a detestable tyranny1 felt1 that the 
crisis was at hand1 when  the rights of 
man1 and his dignity ascertained were to
 be enthroned on  the eternal basis of  
justice and humanity4    ,the notables1 
once assembled1 being sensible1 that    
their conduct would  be inspected by an 
awakened public1 now on the watch1      
scrupulously  examined into every       
national concern2 and seriously         
investigated the  causes1 that had      
produced the deficit1 with something    
like the  independent spirit of freemen4
 ,to their inquiries1 however1 the      
minister  gave only the evasive reply1  
#8that he had acted in obedience to the 
pleasure of the king3' when it was      
notorious to all ,europe1 that his      
majesty was merely a cipher at          
,versailles2 and even the accusation    
brought against ,calonne1 by ,la        
,fayette1 of exchanging the national    
domains1 and appropriating millions of  
it's revenue to gratify the  queen1 the 

count d',artois1 and the rest of the    
cabal1 who kept him in  place1 was      
generally believed4 ,in fact1 the state 
had been fleeced1 to  support the       
unremitting demands of the queen2 who   
would have dismembered  ,france1 to     
aggrandize ,austria1 and pamper her     
favourites4 ,thus the court  conniving  
at peculation1 the minister played a    
sure game2 whilst the  honest labourer  
was groaning under a thousand abuses1   
and yielding the  solace of his         
industry1 or the hoards1 which youthful 
strength had  reserved for times of     
scarcity or decrepit age1 to irritate   
the  increasing wants of a thoughtless1 
treacherous princess1 and the avarice   
of her unprincipled agents4    ,this    
artful1 though weak1 machiavelian       
politician suffered no other  person to 
approach the king2 who1 seduced into    
confidence by his  colloquial powers1   
could not avoid being dazzled by his    
plausible  schemes4 ,he had1            
nevertheless1 a powerful enemy to       

contend with1 in ,m4  de ,breteuil2 who1
 having gratified some of the little    
passions of the  dauphine1 during her   
first struggles for dominion1 was now   
protected by  the absolute power of the 
queen4 ,endeavouring to measure his     
strength  with her's1 the minister was  
discomfited2 and the whole swarm of     
flatterers1 who had partaken of the     
spoil of rapine1 were instantly  alert  
to open the eyes of ,louis1 over which  
they had long been  scattering poppies1 
and soon convinced him of the perfidy of
 his  favourite2 whilst the two         
privileged orders joined their forces1  
to  overwhelm their common enemy1       
attending to their vengeance at the very
  time they followed the dictates of    
prudence4    ,the accusations of ,la    
,fayette served1 perhaps1 as the        
ostensible reason  with the public1 and 
even with the king2 yet it can hardly be
 supposed1  that they had any effect on 
the cabal1 who invented1 or connived at 
the  plans necessary to raise a         

continual supply for their pleasures4   
,the  fact is1 that1 most probably being
 found unequal to the task1 or no       
longer choosing to be a docile          
instrument of mischief1 he was thrown   
aside as unfit for use4    ,disgraced1  
he quickly retired to his estate2 but   
was not long permitted  to struggle with
 the malady of exiled ministers1 in the 
gloomy silence  of inactivity2 for1     
hearing that he had been denounced by   
the  parliament1 he fled in a transport 
of rage out of the kingdom1 covered     
with the execrations of an injured      
people1 in whose hatred1 or  admiration1
 the mellowed shades of reflection are  
seldom seen4    ,the extravagance of his
 administration exceeded that of any    
other  scourge of ,france2 yet it does  
not appear1 that he was actuated by a   
plan1 or even desire1 of enriching      
himself4 ,so far from it1 with wild     
prodigality he seems to have squandered 
away the vast sums he extorted  by force
 or fraud1 merely to gratify or purchase

 friends and dependents2  till1 quite   
exhausted1 he was obliged to have       
recourse to ,necker's  scheme of loans4 
,but not possessing like him the        
confidence of the  public1 he could not 
with equal facility obtain a present    
supply1 the  weight of which would be   
thrown forward to become a              
stumbling-block to  his successors4     
,necker1 by the advantageous terms which
 he held out to  money-holders1 had     
introduced a pernicious system of       
stock-jobbing1 that  was slowly         
detected1 because those who could best  
have opened the eyes  of the people were
 interested to keep them closed4--,still
 ,calonne could  not induce the same    
body of men to trust to his offers2     
which1 not  choosing to accept1 they    
made a point of discrediting1 to secure 
the  interest and exorbitant premiums   
that were daily becoming due4    ,with  
an uncommon quickness of comprehension1 
and audacity in pursuing  crude schemes1
 rendered plausible by a rhetorical flow

 of words1  ,calonne1 a strong          
representative of the national          
character1 seems rather  to have wanted 
principles than feelings of humanity2   
and to have been  led astray more by    
vanity and the love of pleasure1 which  
imperceptibly  smooth away moral        
restraints1 than by those deep plans of 
guilt1 that  force men to see the extent
 of the mischief they are hatching1     
whilst  the crocodile is still in the   
egg4 ,yet1 as mankind ever judge by     
events1  the inconsiderate presumption1 
if not the turpitude of his conduct1    
brought on him universal censure3 for1  
at a crisis when the general  groans of 
an oppressed nation proclaimed the      
disease of the state1 and  even when the
 government was on the verge of         
dissolution1 did he not  waste the      
treasures of his country1 forgetful not 
only of moral  obligations1 but the ties
 of honour1 of that regard for the tacit
  confidence of it's citizens1 which a  
statesman ought to hold sacred8  since  

which he has been caressed at almost    
every court in ,europe1 and  made one of
 the principal agents of despotism in   
the croisades against  the infant       
liberty of ,france4    ,reflecting on   
the conduct of the tools of courts1 we  
are enabled in a  great measure to      
account for the slavery of ,europe2 and 
to discover1  that it's misery has not  
arisen more from the imperfection of    
civilization1 than from the fallacy of  
those political systems1 which          
necessarily made the favourite of the   
day a knavish tyrant1 eager to  amass   
riches sufficient to save himself from  
oblivion1 when the honours1  so hardly  
wrestled for1 should be torn from his   
brow4 ,besides1 whilst  ministers have  
found impunity in the omnipotence1 which
 the seal of  power gave them1 and in   
the covert fear of those who hoped one  
day to  enjoy the same emoluments1 they 
have been led by the prevalence of      
depraved manners1 to the commission of  
every atrocious folly4 ,kings have  been

 the dupes of ministers1 of mistresses1 
and secretaries1 not to  notice sly     
valets and cunning waiting-maids1 who   
are seldom idle2 and  these are most    
venal1 because they have least          
independence of character  to support2  
till in the circle of corruption no one 
can point out the  first mover4 ,hence  
proceeds the great tenacity of courts to
 support  them2 hence originates their  
great objection to republican forms of  
government1 which oblige their ministers
 to be accountable for  delinquency2 and
 hence1 likewise1 might be traced their 
agonizing fears  of the doctrine of     
civil equality4                         
,,chapter ,,iii4  ,,administration ,,of 
,,de ,,brienne4 ,,dissolution ,,of ,,the
 ,,notables4 ,,land ,,tax ,,and         
,,stamp ,,duty ,,recommended ,,by       
,,them1 ,,but ,,refused ,,to ,,be       
,,sanctioned ,,by ,,the  ,,parliament4  
,,bed ,,of ,,justice4 ,,the ,,parliament
 ,,banished ,,to ,,troyes1--,,but ,,soon
  ,,compromised ,,for ,,it',s ,,recall4 

,,struggles ,,of ,,the ,,court ,,party  
,,to ,,prevent ,,the   ,,convocation    
,,of ,,the ,,states-,,general4          
,,banishment ,,of ,,the ,,duke ,,of     
,,orleans1   ,,and ,,two ,,spirited     
,,members ,,of ,,the ,,parliament4      
,,cour ,,pleniere4 ,,remarks ,,on       
,,the ,,parliaments4 ,,imprisonment ,,of
 ,,the ,,members4 ,,deputies ,,of ,,the 
,,province     ,,of ,,britanny ,,sent   
,,to ,,the ,,bastille4 ,,the ,,soldiery 
,,let ,,loose ,,upon ,,the              
,,people4      ,after the dismission of 
,calonne1 ,m4 de ,brienne1 a man whose  
talents  ,turgot had overrated1 was now 
chosen by the queen1 because he had     
formerly seconded her views1 and was    
still the obsequious slave of that      
power1 which he had long been courting1 
to obtain the so much envied  place of  
minister4 ,having taken more pains to   
gain the post than to  prepare himself  
to fulfil it's functions1 his weak and  
timid mind was in  a continual tumult2  
and he adopted with head-long confusion 

the taxes  proposed by his predecessor2 
because money must be had1 and he knew  
not  where to turn to procure it by an  
unhacknied mode of extortion4    ,the   
notables were now dissolved2 and it     
would have been a natural  consequence  
of the dismission of the minister who   
assembled them1 even  if their spirited 
inquiries had not rendered their        
presence vexatious to  the court4 ,this1
 however1 was an impolitic measure2 for 
they returned  highly disgusted to their
 respective abodes1 to propagate the    
free  opinions1 to which resentment and 
argumentation had given birth4          
,before the breaking up of the notables1
 they were nevertheless  prevailed upon 
to recommend a land and stamp tax2 and  
the edicts were  sent to the parliament 
to be enregistered4 ,but these          
magistrates1 never  forgetting that they
 enjoyed1 in virtue of their office1 the
 privileged  exemption from taxes1 to   
elude sanctioning the first1 which was  
to have  been an equal impost1 took     

advantage of the public odiousness of   
the  second2 thus avoiding1 with a show 
of patriotism1 an avowed opposition  to 
the interest of the people1 that would  
clearly have proved1 how much  dearer   
they held their own4    ,the gaudy and  
meretricious pageantry of the court was 
now displayed1 to  intimidate the       
parliament1 at what was termed a bed of 
justice1 though  in reality of all      
justice a solemn mockery2 and1 whilst   
pretending to  consult them1 the edicts 
were enregistered by a mandate of state4
 ,the  parliament1 in the mean time1    
making a merit of necessity1 declared1  
that the right of sanctioning the impost
 belonged only to the  states-general1  
the convocation of which they demanded4 
,provoked by  their sturdy opposition1  
the court banished them to ,troyes2 and 
they  compromised for their recall by   
enregistering the prolongation of the   
deuxieme vingtieme1 a cowardly desertion
 of their former ground4    ,a century  
before 7a proof of the progress of      

reason7 the people1  digesting their    
disappointment1 would have submitted1   
with brutal  acquiescence1 to the       
majestic ,,will of the king1 without    
daring to scan  it's import2 but now1   
recognizing their own dignity1 they     
insisted1 that  all authority1 which did
 not originate with them1 was illegal   
and  despotic1 and loudly resounded the 
grand truth--,that it was necessary to  
convoke the states-general4 ,the        
government1 however1 like a dying wretch
  cut off by intemperance1 whilst the   
lust of enjoyment still remaining       
prompts him to exhaust his strength by  
struggling with death1 fought  some time
 longer inauspiciously for existence1   
depending on the succour  of the court  
empirics1 who vainly flattered          
themselves1 that they could  prevent    
it's dissolution4 ,from the moment1     
indeed1 that ,brienne  succeeded        
,calonne1 all the machinery1 which the  
demon of despotism could  invent1 was   
put in motion1 to divert the current of 

opinion1 bearing on  it's fair bosom the
 new sentiments of liberty with         
irresistible force1  and overwhelming1  
as it swelled1 the perishing monuments  
of venerable  folly1 and the fragile    
barriers of superstitious ignorance4    
,but supplies were still wanting2 and   
the court1 being fruitful in  stratagems
 to procure a loan1 which was the       
necessary lever of it's  insidious      
designs1 coalesced with some of the     
members of the parliament1  and the     
agreement was to have been ratified in a
 sance royale4 ,yet1  as the parliament 
had determined to be governed by a clear
 majority1 the  scheme of the keeper of 
the seals1 who intended to have the     
business  hurried over without telling  
the votes1 was completely defeated4     
,the discovery of this unfair attempt   
made the indignant magistrates1  glad to
 seize an occasion to recover their     
popularity1 maintain with  boldness     
their own character1 and the interest of
 the people4 ,the duke  of ,orleans1    

also1 somewhat tauntingly suggesting to 
the king1 that this  was only another   
bed of justice1 was exiled1 with two    
other members1 who  had remonstrated    
with courage4 ,these magistrates1 now   
become the objects  of public adoration1
 were considered by the grateful public 
as their  only bulwark against the      
attacks of the ministry2 which continued
 to  harrass invention1 to contrive     
means to counteract a concurrence of    
circumstances1 that were driving before 
them all opposition4    ,the court1 for 
,i consider the government1 at this     
period1 completely at  an end1 continued
 to stumble out of one blunder into     
another1 till at  last they rested all  
their hopes on the popular reforms      
projected by  ,brienne1 in conjunction  
with ,lamoignon1 a man with more        
strength of  character1 to cajole the   
people and crush the parliament4        
,several  strokes1 the feeble blows of  
angry men1 who wished still to retain   
the  stolen sweets of office1 were aimed

 at this body1 calculated to mislead    
the people1 who were also promised a    
reformed code of penal laws4 ,but  the  
time when partial remedies would have   
been eagerly swallowed was  past1 and   
the people saw distinctly1 that their   
will would soon be law1  and their power
 omnipotent4 ,but the minister1         
,brienne1 not aware of  this1 to steer  
clear of further opposition1 proposed   
the plan of a cour  plniere3 an         
heterogeneous assembly of princes1      
nobles1 magistrates1  and soldiers4 ,a  
happy substitute1 as he imagined1 for   
the parliament2  and which1 by restoring
 the ancient forms of the kings of      
,france1 would  awe and amuse the       
people4 ,he did not consider1 that their
 minds were now  full of other objects1 
and their enthusiasm turned into another
 channel4    ,this conduct proved more  
destructive to the court than any former
 folly  it's advisers had committed4    
,imbecility now characterized every     
measure4  ,the parliament however fell  

into the snare1 and forfeited the esteem
 and  confidence of the people by       
opposing some popular edicts2           
particularly  one in favour of the      
protestants1 which they themselves had  
demanded ten  years before1 and to which
 they now objected1 only because it came
 from  another quarter4 ,yet the court1 
regardless of experience1 endeavoured to
  restore it's credit by persecution2   
whilst1 making all the clashing         
movements that fear could dictate to    
manifest it's power and overawe the     
nation1 it united all parties1 and drew 
the whole kingdom to one point  of      
action4    ,the despotic and extravagant
 steps taken1 to give efficiency to the 
cour plniere1 awakened the sensibility  
of the most torpid2 and the  vigilance  
of twenty-five millions of centinels was
 roused1 to watch the  movements of the 
court1 and follow it's corrupt          
ministers1 through all  the labyrinths  
of sophistry and tergiversation1 into   
the very dens of  their nefarious       

machinations4 ,to prevent the different 
parliaments from  deliberating1 and     
forming in consequence a plan of conduct
 together1 the  edict to sanction this  
packed cabinet was to be presented to   
them all on  the same day2 and a        
considerable force was assembled1 to    
intimidate the  members1 who should dare
 to prove refractory4 ,but1 they were   
forewarned  in time1 to avoid being     
surprised into acquiescence3 for1 having
  received an intimation of the design1 
a copy of the edict had been  purloined 
from the press1 by means of the         
universal engine of  corruption1 money4 
,warmed by the discovery of this        
surreptitious attempt to cheat them into
  blind obedience1 they bound themselves
 by an oath1 to act in concert2  and not
 to enregister a decree1 that had been  
obtained through a medium1  which       
violated the privilege they had usurped 
of having a share in the  legislation1  
by rendering their sanction of edicts   
necessary to give  them force3 a        

privilege that belonged only to the     
states-general4 ,still1  as the         
government had often found it convenient
 to make the parliaments  a substitute  
for a power they dreaded to see in      
action1 these  magistrates sometimes    
availed themselves of this weakness1 to 
remonstrate against oppression2 and     
thus1 covering usurpation with a        
respectable veil1 the twelve parliaments
 were considered by the people  as the  
only barriers to resist the             
encroachments of despotism4 ,yet the    
sagacious chancellor ,l',hpital1 not    
deceived by their accidental            
usefulness1 guarded the french against  
their illegal ambition3 for was  it not 
a dangerous courtesy of the people1 to  
allow an aristocracy of  lawyers1 who   
bought their places1 to be as it were   
the only  representatives of the nation8
 ,still their resistance had frequently 
been an impediment in the way of        
tyranny1 and now provoked a discussion1 
which led to the most important of all  

questions--namely1 in whose hands  ought
 the sovereignty to rest8--who ought to 
levy the impost1 and make  laws8--and   
the answer was the universal demand of a
 fair representation1  to meet at stated
 periods1 without depending on the      
caprice of the  executive power4 ,unable
 to effect their purpose by art or      
force1 the  weak ministry1 stung by the 
disappointment1 determined at least to  
wreak  their vengeance on two of the    
boldest of the members4 ,but the united 
magistrates disputing the authority of  
the armed force1 it was necessary  to   
send to ,versailles1 to make the king   
sign an express order2 and  towards five
 o'clock the next morning the sanctuary 
of justice was  profaned1 and the two   
members dragged to prison1 in contempt  
of the  visible indignation of the      
people4 ,soon after1 to fill up the     
measure of  provocations1 a deputation  
sent by the province of ,brittany1 to   
remonstrate against the establishment of
 the cour plniere1 were  condemned to   

silence in the ,bastille4    ,without   
money1 and afraid to demand it1         
excepting in a circumlocutory  manner1  
the court1 like mad men1 spent          
themselves in idle exertions of         
strength3 for1 whilst the citizens of   
,paris were burning in effigy the  two  
obnoxious ministers1 who thus outraged  
them in the person of their             
magistrates1 they were delivered up to  
the fury of the hired slaves of         
despotism1 and trampled under foot by   
the cavalry2 who were called in to      
quell a riot purposely excited4         
,cries of horrour and indignation       
resounded throughout the kingdom2 and   
the nation1 with one voice1 demanded    
justice--,alas6 justice had never  been 
known in ,france4 ,retaliation and      
vengeance had been it's fatal           
substitutes4 ,and from this epoch we may
 date the commencement of those         
butcheries1 which have brought on that  
devoted country so many dreadful        
calamities1 by teaching the people to   

avenge themselves with blood6    ,the   
hopes of the nation1 it is true1 were   
still turned towards the  promised      
convocation of the states-general2 which
 every day became more  necessary4 ,but 
the infatuated ministers1 though unable 
to devise any  scheme to extricate      
themselves out of the crowd of          
difficulties1 into  which they had      
heedlessly plunged1 could not think of  
convening a power1  which they foresaw1 
without any great stretch of sagacity1  
would quickly  annihilate their own4    
,the ferment1 mean time1 continued1 and 
the blood that had been shed  served    
only to increase it2 nay1 the citizens  
of ,grenoble prepared with  calmness to 
resist force by force1 and the myrmidons
 of tyranny might  have found it a      
serious contest1 if the intelligence of 
the dismission  of the ministers had not
 produced one of those moments of       
enthusiasm1  which by the most rapid    
operation of sympathy unites all hearts4
 ,touched  by it1 the men who lived on  

the wages of slaughter threw down their 
arms1 and melting into tears in the     
embraces of the citizens whom they  came
 to murder1 remembered that they were   
countrymen1 and groaned under  the same 
oppression3 and1 their conduct1 quickly 
applauded with that  glow of sensibility
 which excites imitation1 served as an  
example to the  whole army1 forcing the 
soldiers to think of their situation1   
and might  have proved a salutary lesson
 to any court less depraved and         
insensible  than that of ,versailles4   
,,chapter ,,iv4      ,,necker           
,,recalled4 ,,his ,,character4          
,,notables ,,convened ,a ,,second       
,,time4    ,,coalition ,,of ,,the       
,,nobility ,,and ,,clergy ,,in ,,defence
 ,,of ,,their ,,privileges4             
,,provincial ,,assemblies ,,of ,,the    
,,people4 ,,political ,,publications    
,,in ,,favour ,,of   ,,the              
,,tiers-,,etat4 ,,general ,,reflections 
,,on ,,reform1--,,on ,,the ,,present    
,,state ,,of                            

,,europe1--,,and ,,on ,,the ,,revolution
 ,,in ,,france4      ,such were the     
measures pursued to exasperate a people 
beginning to open  their eyes1 and now  
clamourously demanding the restitution  
of their  long-estranged rights2 when   
the court1 having in vain attempted to  
terrify or deceive them1 found it       
expedient to still the storm by         
recalling ,necker4 ,this man had the    
confidence of ,france1 which he in  some
 degree merited for the light he had    
thrown on the state of the  revenue1 and
 for the system of economy1 that he had 
endeavoured to adopt  during his former 
administration3 but unfortunately he did
 not possess  talents or political      
sagacity sufficient to pilot the state  
in this  perilous season4 ,bred up in a 
counting-house1 he acquired that        
knowledge  of detail1 and attention to  
little advantages1 so necessary when a  
man  desires to amass riches with what  
is termed a fair character3 and1  having
 accumulated a very large fortune by    

unremitting industry2 or1 to  borrow the
 commercial phrase1 attention to the    
main chance1 his house  became the      
resort of the men of letters of his day4
    ,the foibles of a rich man are      
always fostered1 sometimes perhaps      
insensibly1 by his numerous dependents  
and visitants1 who find his table       
amusing or convenient4 ,it is not then  
surprizing1 that1 with the  abilities of
 a tolerable financier1 he was soon     
persuaded1 that he was a  great author1 
and consummate statesman4 ,besides1 when
 the manners of a  nation are very      
depraved1 the men who wish to appear1   
and even to be1  more moral than the    
multitude1 in general become            
pedantically virtuous2  and1 continually
 contrasting their morals with the      
thoughtless vices  around them1 the     
artificial1 narrow character of a       
sectary is formed2  the manners are     
rendered stiff1 and the heart cold4 ,the
 dupes also of  their flimsey virtue1   
many men are harshly called hypocrites1 

who are  only weak2 and popularity often
 turns the head giddy1 that would have  
soberly fulfilled the common duties of a
 man in the shade of private  life4     
,having adopted with a timid hand many  
of the sagacious plans of his  model1   
the clear headed1 unaffected ,turgot1   
,necker was considered by the  greater  
part of the nation as a consummate      
politician3 neither was it  surprizing1 
that the people1 snatched from          
despondency1 should have  mistaken the  
extent of his political knowledge1 when 
they had estimated  it by that of the   
greatest statesman1 which ,france1 or1  
perhaps1 any  other country1 ever       
produced4    ,having written on a       
subject1 that naturally attracted the   
attention of  the public1 he had the    
vanity to believe1 that he deserved the 
exaggerated applause he received1 and   
the reputation of wise1 when he  was    
only shrewd4 ,not content with the fame 
he acquired by writing on a  subject1   
which his turn of mind and profession   

enabled him to  comprehend1 he wished to
 obtain a higher degree of celebrity1 by
 forming  into a large book various     
metaphysical shreds of arguments1 which 
he had  collected from the conversation 
of men1 fond of ingenious subtilties2   
and the style1 excepting some           
declamatory passages1 was as inflated   
and  confused as the thoughts were far  
fetched and unconnected#g4    ,as it is 
from this period1 that we must date the 
commencement of those  great events1    
which1 outrunning expectation1 have     
almost rendered  observation breathless1
 it becomes necessary to enter on the   
task with  caution2 as it ought not to  
be more the object of the historian to  
fill  up the sketch1 than to trace the  
hidden springs and secret mechanism1    
which have put in motion a revolution1  
the most important that has ever  been  
recorded in the annals of man4 ,this was
 a crisis that demanded  boldness and   
precision2 and no man in ,france1       
excepting ,necker1 had the  reputation  

of possessing extensive political       
talents2 because the old  system of     
government scarcely afforded a field1 in
 which the abilities  of men could be   
unfolded1 and their judgment matured by 
experience4 ,yet1  whilst the kingdom   
was in the greatest fermentation1 he    
seems to have  thought of none but those
 timid half-way measures1 which always  
prove  disastrous in desperate cases1   
when the wound requires to be probed to 
the quick4    ,the old government was   
then only a vast ruin2 and whilst it's  
pillars  were trembling on their        
baseless foundations1 the eyes of all   
,france  were directed towards their    
admired minister4 ,in this situation1   
with  all his former empiricism he began
 his second career1 like another        
,sangrado4 ,but the people could no     
longer bear bleeding--for their veins   
were already so lacerated1 it was       
difficult to find room to make a fresh  
incision2 and the emollient             
prescriptions1 the practice of former   

times1  were now insufficient to stop   
the progress of a deadly disease4 ,in   
this  situation1 listening to the voice 
of the nation1 because he was at a  loss
 what step to take to maintain his      
popularity1 he determined to  hasten the
 convocation of the states-general3     
first recalling the exiled  magistrates1
 and restoring the parliaments to the   
exercise of their  functions4 ,his next 
care was to dissipate all apprehension  
of a famine2  a fear that had been      
artfully excited by the court agents1 in
 order to  have a pretext to form       
magazines of provision for an army1     
which they  had previously resolved to  
assemble in the vicinity of ,paris4     
,thus far he seems to have acted with   
some degree of prudence1 at least2  but1
 inattentive to the robust strength     
which the public opinion had  then      
acquired1 he wavered as to the mode of  
constituting the  states-general1 whilst
 the parliament passed a decree to      
prevent their  assembling in any other  

manner than they did in #afad4 ,this    
obstinate  pretention to legislate for  
the nation was no longer to be          
tolerated1  when they opposed the wishes
 of the people3 yet1 with the common    
instinct of corporate bodies1 they      
wrapped themselves up in the  precedents
 that proved their winding-sheet1       
provoking universal  contempt2 for the  
herculean force of the whole empire was 
now clearing  away every obstacle to    
freedom4    ,at this critical moment1   
the minister1 enjoying great popularity1
 had it  in his power1 could he have    
governed the court1 to have suggested a 
system1 which might ultimately have     
proved acceptable to all parties2  and  
thus have prevented that dreadful       
convulsion1 which has shook the  kingdom
 from one extremity to the other4       
,instead of that1 he convened a  second 
time the notables1 to take their opinion
 on a subject1  respecting which the    
public had already decided1 not daring  
himself to  sanction it's decision4 ,the

 strongest proof he could give1 that his
 mind  was not sufficiently elastic to  
expand with the opening views of the    
people2 and that he did not possess the 
eye of genius1 which1 quickly           
distinguishing what is possible1 enables
 a statesman to act with firm  dignity1 
resting on his own centre4    ,carried  
away by the general impulsion1 with the 
inconsiderate fervour of  men1 whose    
hearts always grow hard as they cool1   
when they have been  warmed by some     
sudden glow of enthusiasm or sympathy1  
the notables  showed1 by their          
subsequent conduct1 that1 though they   
had been led by  eloquence to support   
some questions of a patriotic tendency1 
they had  not the principles necessary  
to impel them to give up local          
advantages1  or personal prerogatives1  
for the good of the whole community1 in 
which  they were only eventually to     
share4 ,indeed romantic virtue1 or      
friendship1 seldom goes further than    
professions2 because it is merely  the  

effect of that fondness for imitating   
great1 rather than acquiring  moderate  
qualities1 common to vain people4       
,the notables had now two essential     
points to settle2 namely1 to  regulate  
the election of the deputies1 and how   
they were afterwards to  vote4 ,the     
population and wealth of several        
provinces1 from commercial  advantages  
and other causes1 had given a new face  
to the country since  the former        
election2 so much so1 that1 if the      
ancient division were  adhered to1 the  
representation could not fail to be very
 unequal4 ,yet if  the natural order of 
population were followed1 the grand     
question of  voting by orders or by     
voices seemed to be prejudged by the    
great  increase of the members of the   
tiers-etat4    ,the nobles and the      
clergy immediately rallied round the    
standard of  privileges1 insisting1 that
 ,france would be ruined1 if their      
rights  were touched3 and so true were  
they now to their insulated interest1   

that all the committees into which the  
notables were divided1  excepting that  
of which monsieur was president1        
determined against  allowing the        
tiers-etat that increase of power       
necessary to enable  them to be useful4 
,whilst1 however1 these disputes and    
cabals seemed to  promise no speedy     
determination1 the people1 weary of     
procrastination1  and disgusted with the
 obstacles continually thrown in the way
 of the  meeting of the states-general1 
by a court that was ever secretly at    
work1 to regain the trifling privileges1
 which it pretended to sacrifice  to the
 general good1 began to assemble1 and   
even to decide the previous  question1  
by deliberating together in several     
places4 ,dauphine set the  example2 and 
the three orders uniting sketched a plan
 for the  organization of the whole     
kingdom1 which served as a model for the
 other  provincial states1 and furnished
 grounds for the constituent assembly to
  work on when forming the constitution4

 ,though the rumour was spread  abroad1 
the court1 still so stupidly secure as  
not to see1 that the  people1 who at    
this period dared to think for          
themselves1 would not now  be noosed    
like beasts1 when strength is brought   
into subjection by  reason1 beheld with 
wonder the arrival of deputations from  
different  quarters1 and heard with     
astonishment the bold tones of men      
speaking of  their rights1 tracing      
society to it's origin1 and painting    
with the most  forcible colours the     
horrid depredations of the old          
government4 ,for  after the minds of men
 had been fatigued by the stratagems of 
the court1  the feeble measures of the  
minister1 and the narrow1 selfish views 
of  the parliaments1 they examined with 
avidity the productions of a number  of 
able writers1 who were daily pouring    
pamphlets from the press1 to  excite the
 tiers-etat1 to assert it's rights on   
enlarged principles1  and to oppose     
vigorously the exorbitant claims of the 

privileged orders1  who stood up for    
ancient usurpations1 as if they were the
 natural rights  of a particular genus  
of man4 ,those of the abb ,sieyes and   
the marquis  de ,condorcet were the most
 philosophical2 whilst the unctuous     
eloquence  of ,mirabeau softened these  
dry researches1 and fed the flame of    
patriotism4    ,in this posture of      
affairs1 ,necker1 perceiving that the   
people were  grown resolute1 prevailed  
on the council to decree1 that the      
number of  the deputies of the          
tiers-etat should be equal to that of   
the two  other orders taken together3   
but whether they were to vote by        
chambers1  or in the same body1 was     
still left undetermined4    ,the people1
 whose patience had been worn out by    
injuries and  insults1 now only thought 
of preparing instructions for their     
representatives4--,but1 instead of      
looking for gradual improvement1        
letting one reform calmly produce       
another1 they seemed determined to      

strike at the root of all their misery  
at once3 the united mischiefs  of a     
monarchy unrestrained1 a priesthood     
unnecessarily numerous1 and  an over    
grown nobility3 and these hasty         
measures1 become a subject  worthy of   
philosophical investigation1 naturally  
fall into two  distinct subjects of     
inquiry4    #ast4 ,if1 from the progress
 of reason1 we be authorized to infer1  
that  all governments will be           
meliorated1 and the happiness of man    
placed on  the solid basis1 gradually   
prepared by the improvement of political
  science3 if the degrading distinctions
 of rank born in barbarism1 and         
nourished by chivalry1 be really        
becoming in the estimation of all       
sensible people so contemptible1 that a 
modest man1 in the course of  fifty     
years would probably blush at being thus
 distinguished3 if the  complexion of   
manners in ,europe be completely changed
 from what it was  half a century ago1  
and the liberty of it's citizens        

tolerably secured3  if every day        
extending freedom be more firmly        
established in consequence  of the      
general dissemination of truth and      
knowledge3 it then seems  injudicious   
for statesmen to force the adoption of  
any opinion1 by  aiming at the speedy   
destruction of obstinate prejudices2    
because these  premature reforms1       
instead of promoting1 destroy the       
comfort of those  unfortunate beings1   
who are under their dominion1 affording 
at the same  time to despotism the      
strongest arguments to urge in          
opposition to the  theory of reason4    
,besides1 the objects intended to be    
forwarded are  probably retarded1 whilst
 the tumult of internal commotion and   
civil  discord leads to the most        
dreadful consequence--the immolating of 
human  victims4    ,but1 #b;dly1 it is  
necessary to observe1 that1 if the      
degeneracy of the  higher orders of     
society be such1 that no remedy less    
fraught with  horrour can effect a      

radical cure2 and if enjoying the fruits
 of  usurpation1 they domineer over the 
weak1 and check by all the means in     
their power every humane effort1 to draw
 man out of the state of  degradation1  
into which the inequality of fortune has
 sunk him2 the  people are justified in 
having recourse to coercion1 to repel   
coercion4  ,and1 further1 if it can be  
ascertained1 that the silent sufferings 
of  the citizens of the world under the 
iron feet of oppression are greater1    
though less obvious1 than the calamities
 produced by such violent  convulsions  
as have happened in ,france2 which1 like
 hurricanes whirling  over the face of  
nature1 strip off all it's blooming     
graces2 it may be  politically just1 to 
pursue such measures as were taken by   
that  regenerating country1 and at once 
root out those deleterious plants1      
which poison the better half of human   
happiness4 ,for civilization  hitherto1 
by producing the inequality of          
conditions1 which makes wealth  more    

desirable than either talents or virtue1
 has so weakened all the  organs of the 
body-politic1 and rendered man such a   
beast of prey1 that  the strong have    
always devoured the weak till the very  
signification of  justice has been lost 
sight of1 and charity1 the most specious
 system of  slavery1 substituted in it's
 place4 ,the rich have for ages         
tyrannized  over the poor1 teaching them
 how to act when possessed of power1 and
 now  must feel the consequence4 ,people
 are rendered ferocious by misery2 and  
misanthropy is ever the offspring of    
discontent4 ,let not then the  happiness
 of one half of mankind be built on the 
misery of the other1  and humanity will 
take place of charity1 and all the      
ostentatious  virtues of an universal   
aristocracy4 ,how1 in fact1 can we      
expect to see  men live together like   
brothers1 when we only see master and   
servant in  society8 ,for till men learn
 mutually to assist without governing   
each  other1 little can be done by      

political associations towards          
perfecting  the condition of mankind4   
,europe will probably be1 for some years
 to come1 in a state of anarchy2  till a
 change of sentiments1 gradually        
undermining the strongholds of  custom1 
alters the manners1 without rousing the 
little passions of men1  a pack of      
yelping curs pampered by vanity and     
pride4 ,it is in reality  these minor   
passions1 which during the summer of    
idleness mantle on the  heart1 and taint
 the atmosphere1 because the            
understanding is still4    ,several acts
 of ferocious folly have justly brought 
much obloquy on the  grand revolution1  
which has taken place in ,france2 yet1  
,i feel confident  of being able to     
prove1 that the people are essentially  
good1 and that  knowledge is rapidly    
advancing to that degree of             
perfectibility1 when  the proud         
distinctions of sophisticating fools    
will be eclipsed by the  mild rays of   
philosophy1 and man be considered as    

man--acting with the  dignity of an     
intelligent being4    ,from implicitly  
obeying their sovereigns1 the french    
became suddenly all  sovereigns2 yet1   
because it is natural for men to run out
 of one extreme  into another1 we should
 guard against inferring1 that the      
spirit of the  moment will not          
evaporate1 and leave the disturbed water
 more clear for  the fermentation4 ,men 
without principle rise like foam during 
a storm  sparkling on the top of the    
billow1 in which it is soon absorbed    
when  the commotion dies away4 ,anarchy 
is a fearful state1 and all men of      
sense and benevolence have been         
anxiously attentive1 to observe what use
  frenchmen would make of their liberty1
 when the confusion incident to  the    
acquisition should subside3 yet1 whilst 
the heart sickens over a  detail of     
crimes and follies1 and the             
understanding is appalled by the  labour
 of unravelling a black tissue of plots1
 which exhibits the human  character in 

the most revolting point of view2 it is 
perhaps1 difficult  to bring ourselves  
to believe1 that out of this chaotic    
mass a fairer  government is rising than
 has ever shed the sweets of social life
 on the  world4--,but things must have  
time to find their level4               
,,an                                    
,,historical ,,and ,,moral ,,view       
,,of ,,the                              
,,french ,,revolution4                  
,,book ,,ii4                            
,,chapter ,i4   ,,retrospective ,,view  
,,of ,,grievances ,,in ,,france--,,the  
,,nobles--,,the ,,military--,,the       
,,clergy--,,the ,,farmers ,,general4    
,,election ,,of ,,deputies ,,to ,,the   
,,states-,,general4   ,,arts ,,of ,,the 
,,courtiers4 ,,assembly ,,of ,,the      
,,states4 ,,riots ,,excited ,,at        
,,paris4   ,,opening ,,of ,,the         
,,states-,,general4 ,,the ,,king',s     
,,speech4 ,,answer ,,to ,,it ,,by ,,the 
,,keeper ,,of ,,the ,,seals4 ,,speech   
,,of ,,mr4 ,,necker4 ,,contest          

,,respecting ,,the ,,mode  ,,of         
,,assembling4 ,,tacit ,,establishment   
,,of ,,the ,,liberty ,,of ,,the ,,press4
 ,,attempt  ,,of ,,the ,,court ,,to     
,,restrain ,,it4 ,,the ,,deputies       
,,declare ,,themselves ,a ,,national    
,,assembly4      ,before we enter on the
 grand business produced by the meeting 
of the  states-general1 it is necessary 
to take a retrospective glance over the 
oppressions of which frenchmen so loudly
 complained2 and1 whilst we  trace their
 justness1 the question will only be1   
why they did not sooner  raise their    
shoulders to heave off the mighty load4 
,to ascertain this  truth1 we need not  
enter into deep researches1 though it   
may be  difficult to collect all the    
parts of the feudal chain1 which linked 
the  despotism of sixty thousand nobles1
 who not only exercised all the  tyranny
 that the system authorized1 but        
countenanced the still more  extensive  
depredations of their numerous          
dependents4 ,what1 indeed1 could  equal 

the slavery of the poor husbandman2 not 
only pillaged by the tythe  and game    
laws1 but even obliged to let whole     
flocks of pigeons devour  his grain1    
without daring to destroy them1 because 
those pigeons  belonged to the chateau2 
and afterwards forced to carry the      
scanty crop  to be tolled at the mill of
 monseigneur1 which1 to follow a        
frenchman's staff of life through all   
it's stages of taxation1 must then  be  
baked at the privileged oven8    ,it    
would be captious1 perhaps1 to dwell on 
some of the abominable  tenures of      
personal servitude1 which1 though grown 
obsolete1 were not  abrogated2          
especially as more specious1 if not less
 grinding1 not less  debasing exactions 
were in force1 to deprave every moral   
feeling of the  two divisions of        
society2 the governing1 and governed4   
,when chased from the country1 of which 
the chief charm is independence1  by    
such worrying restraints1 a man wished  
to pursue any occupation in a  town1 he 

must previously purchase a patent of    
some privileged person1 to  whom this   
tax had been sold by a farmer-general1  
or the parasite of a  minister4    ,all 
lived by plunder2 and it's universality 
gave it a sanction1 that  took off the  
odium1 though nothing could varnish the 
injustice4 ,yet1  such was the          
insensibility of the great1 the         
pleasures these extortions  procured    
were not less grateful to the senses1   
because paid by the sweat  of           
industry4--,no2 like ,vespasian's       
obnoxious tax1 money was money2 and  who
 cared on what it was levied8 ,thus the 
rich necessarily became  robbers1 and   
the poor thieves4 ,talking of honour1   
honesty was  overlooked2 and1 custom    
giving a soft name to different         
atrocities1 few  thought it a duty to   
investigate disregarded principles2 or  
to  relinquish their share of the       
plunder1 to satisfy a romantic          
singularity  of opinion1 which excited  
ridicule rather than imitation4    ,the 

military1 a pest in every country1 were 
here also all noble1 and  leagued with a
 hundred thousand privileged persons1 of
 different  descriptions1 to support    
their prerogative of receiving a        
revenue1 which  was a dead weight on    
agriculture2 whilst they were not       
obliged1 in a  direct way1 to advance   
any thing towards defraying the public  
expenditure4    ,the gabelle1 the corve1
 the obligation to supply horses to     
transport  the troops from one part of  
the kingdom to another1 even when most  
necessary at the farm2 clogs on         
husbandry1 equally unjust and vexatious2
  were riveted only on the ankles of    
labour4 ,activity then being            
continually damped by such various      
restrictions1 instead of being braced   
by encouragement1 an invincible         
impediment was thrown in the way of     
agricultural improvements2 for each     
individual1 insulated by oppression1    
lived1 strictly speaking1 from hand to  
mouth2 not caring to store up  comforts1

 at the expence of extraordinary toil1  
when the enjoyment  depended on so many 
casualties4 ,yet1 never beginning to be 
sensible of  the effect1 the people were
 not1 probably1 aware of the cause2 and 
only  exclaimed against new impositions1
 because they did not think             
sufficiently deep to detect the old4    
,beside which1 ,france maintained two   
hundred thousand priests1 united in  the
 same spirit of licentiousness2 who     
indulged themselves in all the  depraved
 pleasures of cloaked immorality1 at the
 same time they embruted  the people by 
sanctifying the most diabolical         
prejudices2 to whose  empire every      
consideration of justice and political  
improvement was  sacrificed4    ,added  
to evils of this magnitude1 there were  
the canker-worms that  lurked behind    
monastic walls4 ,for sixty thousand     
persons1 who by  renouncing the world   
cut the thread of nature1 served as a   
prop to the  priesthood that enjoyed    
more than a fourth of the produce of all

 ,france2  independent of the estates it
 possessed1 which were immense4 ,and    
this  body of men1 the leeches of the   
kingdom1 the idols of the ignorant1 and 
the palladium of tyranny1 contributed   
not a farthing to the support of  the   
hydra1 whom they were anxious to        
protect1 as a guard to themselves4      
,ostentatiously boasting of their       
charity1 whilst revelling on the spoil  
of fraud1 by a sacrilege the most       
nefarious1 their whole lives were a     
mockery of the doctrines1 which they    
taught1 and pretended to reverence4     
,beside these1 and other vexations1     
almost innumerable1 one entangled in    
another2 each petty monopoly contributed
 to strengthen the massy fabric  of     
despotism1 which reared it's head in    
defiance of time and reason4  ,much1    
indeed1 depended on the caprice of the  
individuals of the  privileged orders1  
whom the court could actuate at will1   
giving them  occasionally a sop to      
silence any peevish growl4    ,there    

were also the farmers general1 with     
their army of fifty thousand            
collectors1 who1 by their manner of     
levying and amassing the revenue1  gave 
an additional gripe to an oppression1   
the most wringing that could  be        
invented1 because it's very principles  
led to the exercise of the  vilest      
peculation2 and impunity was secured by 
a coalition of robbers1  that multitude 
of men in office1 whose families and    
flatterers all  lived1 and fattened on  
the spoil of their continual war with   
justice4  ,and1 whilst the interest of  
the people was continually sacrificed by
 the  parliaments1 the inferiour courts 
of law were still more venal1 because   
composed of those litigious             
practitioners1 who thicken like spawn on
  putrid bodies1 when a state is become 
corrupt4    ,such were the              
grievances6--,such the impositions1     
#8that1 taken together1  levied a tax on
 the kingdom1' says ,rabaud1 #8which the
 imagination is  afraid to calculate4'  

,this body of men we may consider as    
constituting  ,france1 till the great   
bulk of the people1 who were slaves and 
dwarfs1  bursting their shackles and    
rising in stature1 suddenly appeared    
with  the dignity and pretentions of    
human beings3 ,yes2 ,with the same      
feelings2 or perhaps stronger1 because  
more natural2 and claiming equal  rights
 with those nobles1 who1 like the giants
 of old1 were only great  by the        
courtesy of the imagination4 ,who is so 
callous to the interest of  humanity as 
to say it was not a noble regeneration8 
,who is so benumbed  by selfish fears1  
as not to feel a glow of warmth1 at     
seeing the  inhabitants of a vast empire
 exalted from the lowest state of       
beastly  degradation to a summit1 where1
 contemplating the dawn of freedom1 they
  may breathe the invigorating air of   
independence2 which will give them a    
new constitution of mind8 ,who is so    
much under the influence of  prejudice1 
as to insist1 that frenchmen are a      

distinct race1 formed by  nature1 or by 
habit1 to be slaves2 and incapable of   
ever attaining those  noble sentiments1 
which characterize a free people8 ,when 
the dawn of  them appeared conspicuously
 at the elections for the               
states-general1  which were the         
preparatory struggles to make a change  
of opinion produce  an essential        
alteration in government4    ,six       
millions of men were now in motion to   
choose the deputies1 and  prepare their 
instructions2 and in these assemblies   
the commons  commenced their political  
career2 discussing1 on new ground1      
subjects  that quickly became the only  
interesting topics throughout the       
kingdom4    ,in some few places1 the    
three orders meeting together seemed to 
decide  the important question          
respecting the equality of the          
representatives  but1 in general1 the   
first two chambered themselves to guard 
tenaciously  their trembling            
prerogatives2 and the third1 with a     

cautious jealousy1  to demand the       
redress of grievances1 which they could 
scarcely expect  the others to          
denominate by so harsh a name4    ,great
 decorum reigned in the chamber of the  
nobility1 though split into  various    
ranks2 the lower of which had ill       
brooked1 for a long time1 the           
overbearing insolence of those princes  
and peers1 who haughtily  contested     
every step of honour4 ,still all agreed1
 to resign their  pecuniary privileges1 
and joined in vague terms1 with the     
public voice1  to demand a constitution4
    ,the same divisions produced more   
visible effects amongst the clergy3 for 
considerable tumults were the           
consequence of the struggle of the      
parish-priests1 the commons of this     
order1 to have their due weight in  the 
scale2 and their success seemed a sure  
prognostic of the turn things  were     
going to take in the nation4 ,in fact1  
every diocess was become the  centre of 
a petty despotism1 more galling than the

 great1 because at  each man's elbow2   
and the parish-priests1 who were not in 
the high road  to preferment1 most      
oppressed1 led the van in the new       
contest for  equality2 whilst disrespect
 for the mitre paved the way to a       
contempt  for the crown4    ,indivisible
 as had hitherto been the clerical body1
 the indecent pride  of the dignitaries 
of the church1 at this juncture1        
produced the schism1  which induced the 
majority of the clergy to side with the 
people2 whilst  only a small minority of
 the nobility deserted the common cause 
of the  party4 ,the parish-priests1 in  
fact1 appeared1 from the time of their  
election1 a corps in reserve for the    
third-estate2 where they sought for  the
 consequence they were denied in their  
own chamber1 finding  themselves more   
nearly allied by interest1 as well as   
inclination1 to  this order than to the 
rich pastors1 who1 separating the sheep 
from the  goats1 bade them stand aloof1 
as possessing less riches--the holiness 

of  that body1 as of all others4 ,the   
electing of so many of the inferiour    
clergy1 in spite of the menaces and     
intrigues of their numerous  superiours1
 was a striking proof1 that the power of
 the church was in  the wane2 and that  
the people were beginning to feel their 
own strength4  ,the disturbances at this
 time seemed the rumbling of the        
approaching  tempest2 and orators1      
formed in these provincial assemblies1  
to figure  afterwards in national1 were 
encouraged by applause to persevere4    
,having the same mark in view1 an       
uniformity of sentiment breathed        
throughout the instructions of the      
third-estate2 principally levelled at   
the privileges of the two other orders3 
for on these abuses the most  popular   
publications had hinged1 rivetting      
conviction in the minds of  the         
suffering people4 ,a celebrated         
pamphlet1 written by the abb ,sieyes1   
went through sixty editions2 and the    
duke of ,orleans1 piqued at the  royal  

family1 took great pains to spread      
abroad opinions1 which were far  from   
being congenial with his own2 thus1 with
 purblind ambition1  labouring to       
overturn a court1 the ruins of which    
have rebounded on his  own head4    ,but
 the temper of the nation1 sore with    
suffering1 and warmed by these          
discussions1 so ran a-head of their     
judgment1 as to lead the electors1  with
 hasty zeal1 to instruct their          
representatives1 to demand the          
immediate suppression of a host of      
abuses1 without guarding against the    
consequences4--,such1 unfortunately1 is 
always the conduct pursued by           
exasperated passions2 for1 during the   
rage to correct abuses1 one is1  too    
frequently1 only exchanged for another4 
,so difficult is it to  impress the     
salutary lessons of experience on       
irritated minds6--,and so  apt are men1 
in the moment of action1 to fly from one
 extreme to the  other1 without         
considering1 that the strongest         

conviction of reason  cannot quickly    
change a habit of body2 much less the   
manners that have  been gradually       
produced by certain modes of thinking   
and acting4    ,with one voice1 however1
 the whole nation called for a          
constitution1 to  establish equal       
rights1 as the foundation of freedom2   
and to guard  against the depredations  
of favourites1 whether they attacked    
person or  property4 ,so that the       
liberty of the press1 and the abolition 
of  lettres de cachet1 were1 in general1
 the articles that followed the         
positive injunction of confining the    
right of taxation to the  representative
 body of the nation4 ,the institution of
 juries was  recommended1 and the       
deputies were requested to take into    
consideration1  whether the number of   
capital punishments could not be        
lessened1 or  totally abolished2 remarks
 were made on the evil tendency of      
lotteries1  and on the vexatious        
impediments thrown in the way of trade1 

by barriers  and monopolies4 ,in short1 
against the tyranny and injustice of the
  court1 the nobility1 and the clergy1  
all remonstrated2 unmasking one  species
 of oppression1 and dilating on another2
 yet1 among these  numerous             
animadversions1 prayers and praises     
alone were addressed to the  king2 and  
nothing like a glance at republicanism  
rendered their  sincerity doubtful4     
,to divert the gathering storm from     
breaking over their heads1 the cabal    
determined to rest all their hopes on   
the aid of the foreign troops2  which   
they were collecting from different     
parts of the kingdom1 not  caring to    
trust to the french soldiery1 who were  
assuming the character  of citizens4    
,mean while1 with the usual chicanery of
 courtiers1 they  continued to amuse the
 deputies1 till they could crush them at
 once2 and  effectually blast the hopes 
of the people4 ,the human heart is      
naturally  good1 though so often the    
dupe of passion4--,for though it's      

feelings be  sophisticated1 or stifled2 
though the head contrives the blackest  
machinations2 even in the silence of    
solitude1 who will whisper to  himself  
that he is a villain8 ,will he not      
rather try1 like ,milton's  devil1 to   
find out a damned plea of necessity1 to 
cover his  guilt8--paying homage1 in    
spite of himself1 to the eternal justice
 he  violates under the pretext of      
self-preservation4 ,but1 it is not alone
  the virtues of man1 those changing    
hues1 of which the colour is  undecided1
 that proclaim his native dignity4 ,no2 
his vices have the same  stamp of the   
divinity3 and it is necessary to pervert
 the understanding1  before the heart   
can be led astray4 ,men1 likewise1      
indolently adopt the  habits of thinking
 of their day1 without weighing them4   
,thus these very  courtiers1 who could  
coolly contemplate the massacre1 which  
must be the  consequence of assembling  
the foreign troops1 because it was a    
continuance of the established course of

 things1 have since started1  probably  
with real horrour1 from the             
contemplation of the butcheries1  which 
their very tenacity produced4 ,such is  
the deceitfulness of the  human heart1  
and so necessary is it to render the    
head clear to make the  principles of   
action pure4    ,the deputies1 however1 
who were mostly collected from remote   
parts of  the country1 had become in    
their villages the hale sons of         
independence4  ,and1 though the french  
mania1 of adoring their monarch1        
extended to  every part of the kingdom1 
it only gave hilarity to the cheering   
glass  at the homely tables of which    
they were masters2 or activity to the   
dance1 that was a real burst of animal  
spirits4 ,very different from the       
lascivious provocations to vice1        
exhibited at the opera1 which1 by       
destroying the social affections that   
attach men to each other1 stifle  all   
public spirit2 for what is patriotism   
but the expansion of domestic  sympathy1

 rendered permanent by principle8       
,besides1 the writings that  had        
awakened the spirit of these men had a  
little inebriated their  brain4 ,such   
is1 for the most part1 the baneful      
effect of eloquence1  that1 persuading  
instead of convincing1 the glory of the 
enthusiasm it  inspires is sullied by   
that false magnanimity1 which vanity and
  ignorance continually mistake for real
 elevation of soul2 though1 like  the   
scorching rays of the sun after rain1 it
 dries into sterility the  heart1 whose 
emotions are too quickly exhaled4       
,the courtiers1 despising their         
rusticity1 and still considering the    
people as ciphers1 continued to         
discharge the usual routine of office1  
by adjusting the ceremonials of         
reception2 all which tended to insult   
the third-estate1 and show1 that the    
deputies of the privileged orders  were 
to be still treated as if they were a   
distinct class of beings4 ,the          
insolence of such proceedings could not 

fail to provoke the honest  indignation1
 and pique the vanity of those1 who had 
been discussing on a  broad scale the   
rights of man2 whilst a little          
disconcerted by the  ceremony that      
constrained them1 they were obliged1    
every moment1 to  recollect1 that they  
were the equals of these courtiers2 and 
blushed  even to own to themselves1 that
 they could for an instant have been    
awed  by such childish pomp4 ,nor were  
they more astonished at the pageantry of
  ,versailles1 than disgusted with the  
haughtiness of a court1 whose           
magnificence was a proof how much they  
had impoverished the people1 who  now   
demanded emancipation4 ,full1 therefore1
 of the new notions of  independence1   
which made them spurn at every idea of a
 distinction of  men1 they took         
advantage of the majority accorded them 
by the council1  and began to rally     
their forces4 ,perceiving also1 as they 
acted  decidedly1 that they possessed   
the confidence of the people1 who1      

forgetting vive le roi1 exclaimed only  
vive le tiers-etat6--they every  day    
became more firm4    ,the courtiers     
immediately fixed on a house of         
rendezvous1 where they  were regularly  
to concert the best measures to crush   
the rising power of  the commons2 and   
these1 not without a portion of the     
mistrust1 which  characterizes the      
nation1 assembled in different places1  
till a mutual  interest united them in  
that chosen by the deputies from        
,brittany4 ,the  disrespect1 likewise1  
which the orders relative to their dress
  announced1 prepared them for the      
contempt they were destined to receive1 
when separated like the indian casts1   
amongst whom a man fears to be  polluted
 by the touch of an inferiour3 for true 
to the inveterate  prejudice in favour  
of precedents#h1 the nobility were      
gaudily  caparisoned for the show1      
whilst the commons were stupidly        
commanded to  wear the black mantle1    
that distinguishes the lawyers4 ,but1   

the tide of  opinion once turned1 every 
thing contributes to accelerate it's    
course4    ,before the meeting of the   
states-general1 the question that was   
first to  agitate the various interests1
 whether they were to vote by orders or 
poll1 had been so thoroughly discussed1 
that it made1 in many of the            
instructions1 one of the foremost       
articles4 ,for it was evident to the    
nation1 were the different orders       
allowed to assemble in their separate   
chambers1 each invested with the old    
privilege of putting a negative on  the 
decisions of the other two1 that they   
should be gulled with promises  of      
reform1 whilst the coffers of the court 
were replenished with a show  of        
legality4 ,it was1 in fact1 prudent in  
the court party to maintain  this       
ground1 because it appeared to be the   
only way to render abortive  all the    
plans of reformation that struck at     
their authority4 ,this then  was the    
prefatory business1 by which they were  

to measure their  strength2 and1 would  
to ,god6 the vigour manifested on this  
occasion had  always been displayed by  
the representatives of those misled     
people4    ,we have seen the plots of   
this weak1 headstrong cabinet every     
where  defeated1 and traced their bloody
 footsteps2 but we shall find them      
still true to their scent1 having       
recourse again to violence1 when fraud  
was of no avail4    ,to furnish a       
pretext to introduce adroitly a         
considerable military  force1 at the    
time of the assembling of the           
states-general1 two or three  riots had 
been excited at ,paris1 in which many of
 the thoughtless  populace were killed4 
,one in particular1 though still        
involved in the  shades of mystery1     
occasioned great confusion and          
considerable  slaughter1 just at the eve
 of their meeting4    ,a respectable    
manufacturer in the suburbs of ,paris1  
with the fairest  character1 employed a 
number of poor1 whom he paid liberally2 

yet  against this man some idle stories 
were industriously circulated1 well     
contrived to mislead and exasperate the 
people1 because they touched  their     
vanity1 and their most pressing want1   
the want of bread4 ,the  scarcity1 real 
or factitious1 of this article1 has     
always been taken  advantage of by those
 who wished to excite tumults in ,paris2
 and at this  juncture the duped        
parisians rose1 at the instigation of   
the court  agents1 to destroy           
themselves4 ,the riot was permitted to  
get a-head  before any serious attempts 
to quell it were taken1 which rendered  
the  interference of a little army1 the 
point aimed at1 necessary2 and          
established an opinion1 that the        
turbulent mob required to be awed by    
the presence of troops1 whilst the      
states-general deliberated4    ,during  
this effervescence1 or1 at least1 when  
it was subsiding1 the  states-general   
was opened1 the #eth of may1 #aghi1 by a
 speech from the  throne1 to which      

courtiers1 in the usual phraseology1    
would naturally  tack the               
epithet--gracious4 ,the king commenced  
with a heartless  declaration of his    
satisfaction at seeing himself          
surrounded by the  representatives of   
the people2 and then enumerating the    
heavy debts of  the nation1 a great part
 of which had been accumulated during   
his reign1  he added one of those idle  
falsehoods1 which swelled his           
declamation  without throwing dust into 
any one's eyes1 that it was in an       
honourable  cause2 when it was          
notorious1 that the cause ought to have 
been  reckoned most dishonourable1 if   
power had not hitherto been the true    
philosopher's stone1 that transmuted the
 basest actions into sterling  honour4  
,he afterwards alluded to the spirit of 
innovation1 that had  taken possession  
of the minds of the people1 and the     
general discontent  that agitated the   
nation3 but1 in the true cant of courts1
 dictating  whilst complimenting1 he    

assured them1 that he depended on their 
wisdom  and moderation2 concluding with 
the words of course1 the humble servant 
of kings1 a declaration of his          
attachment to the public welfare4       
,the disregarded speech of the keeper of
 the seals was1 like the reply  usually 
made to the king's1 in the house of     
commons in ,england1 merely  an echo of 
his majesty's1 recommending moderation  
in the measures  adopted to reform the  
abuses of government1 with the necessary
 quantum  of panegyric on the goodness  
of the king4    ,attention and applause1
 however1 awaited ,necker1 though       
followed by  weariness and disgust4 ,he 
spoke for three hours1 introducing1 with
 his  customary pomp of words1 a number 
of trivial observations2 trying thus  to
 escape1 in a mist of rhetorical        
flourishes1 from the subject he  feared 
to bring forward1 because he was equally
 apprehensive of  offending the court1  
and desirous of maintaining his         
reputation with the  people4 ,not a word

 was uttered relative to the sole right 
of the  states-general to levy taxes1   
the first demand of the nation4 ,and men
  who for some time had been talking of 
nothing but liberty and reform1  were   
astonished1 and dissatisfied1 that he   
avoided all mention of a new            
constitution4 ,leaning to the side of   
the privileged orders1 he asserted1     
that the mode of deliberating and voting
 in separate assemblies was the  pillar 
of the nation--yet1 cautiously adding a 
salvo1 to have a pretext  to use another
 language should it be necessary1 he    
remarked1 that  sometimes it was better 
to poll4 ,this ill-timed management     
naturally  displeased both parties1 as  
is always the case1 when men of weak1   
compound characters1 who have not the   
courage to act right1 want  effrontery  
to brave the censure1 that would follow 
an open avowal of  their undecided      
opinions2 or rather1 their determination
 to keep well  with the strongest4      
,dwelling on the arrangement of the     

finances1 he  assured them1 that a      
public bankruptcy might easily be       
avoided2 and that  even the deficit1    
which had been exaggerated by ,france1  
and ,europe1  was only fifty-six        
millions2 and would appear of less      
consequence1 when  they recollected1    
that1 since his administration1 the     
revenue was  augmented twenty-five      
millions4 ,it is true1 that1 on entering
 into  details1 the greater part of this
 sum was found to be still in           
perspective2 and at the same time was to
 be raised by taxes1 which all  good    
citizens hoped would soon disappear4 ,in
 short1 the french1 after  applauding   
with rapture this brilliant bird's-eye  
view1 observed1 with  the shrug of sang 
froid1 #8that these hypothetical        
resources were  merely faith and hope1  
on condition that they should be        
charitable4'  ,with respect to the      
abolishing of privileges1 that warred   
with humanity1  he made use of some of  
the same species of jesuitical          

arguments1 which  are employed by the   
opposers of the abolition of the        
infamous traffic  for slaves2 that1 as  
these privileges were a kind of         
property1 it was  necessary to find out 
a compensation1 an indemnity1 before    
they could be  done away--with justice4 
,thus has the spirit of justice--it is  
difficult to keep down indignation  when
 attacking such sophisms--been always   
outraged by the mock respect of         
selfishness2 for1 without parrying off  
tergiversation1 it is sufficient  to    
prove1 that certain laws are not just1  
because no government had a  right to   
make them2 and1 though they may have    
received what is termed a  legal        
sanction during the times of ignorance1 
8the duty lies in the  breach and not in
 the observance40 ,besides1 these       
pitiful arguments are  an insult to the 
common sense1 and to the distress of a  
people4--,where1  indeed1 could the     
french1 or english1 find a fund to      
indemnify the  privileged orders or the 

planters8 ,the abuses then1 must        
continue to the  end of time--out of    
sheer respect to the sacredness of      
public faith6    ,thus spoke the king   
and ,necker2 but these addresses1       
instead of  conciliating1 only rendered 
both parties more obstinate2 so that the
  smothering dispute respecting the     
manner of voting broke out  immediately1
 when they met to constitute themselves 
a legal assembly4  ,for the next day1   
even the deputies of the third-estate   
repaired to the  common hall1 and       
agreed1 that the three orders should    
proceed to verify  their powers         
together2 clearly perceiving1 that1 were
 the orders once  allowed to do business
 separately1 an union would be          
impracticable1 and  all their efforts to
 obtain a constitution null1 should they
 attempt to  make equality of rights the
 basis4 ,the nobility and clergy not    
joining  the commons1 they resolved to  
renew their meeting the following       
morning2  only as an aggregate of       

individuals1 who had no power to act1   
not having  yet a political character4  
,this very contest seemed to call upon  
them to  support their claim to         
equality1 because it emphatically warned
 them1  that all their operations would 
be rendered perfectly nugatory1 should  
they permit the orders to be a check on 
each other4 ,the most sensible  men of  
the commons being of opinion1 that all  
expectations of a  permanent reform were
 chimerical1 unless the whole           
representation was  formed into an      
indivisible assembly1 encouraged the    
more undecided to  persevere2 though the
 nobles signified to them1 the #acth1   
that they had  ascertained the legality 
of their election4    ,the clergy1      
however1 divided in their interest1     
proceeded with more  caution2 and the   
most discerning of them1 perceiving that
 their order  was becoming obnoxious to 
the people1 who now deified the         
third-estate1  proposed a committee of  
conciliation1 with a view1 as they      

pretended1 to  promote a good           
understanding between all parties4 ,the 
king also1 in his  turn1 when the nobles
 rejected the mediation of the clergy1  
offered a  plan of accommodation2 a     
mighty nothing1 that the court brought  
forth4--,but this tub1 thrown out to the
 whale1 did not divert the  attention of
 either party from the main object2     
though the nobles1 many  of whom were in
 the secret of the approach of the army1
 should things be  carried to extremes1 
pretended to acquiesce2 yet guarding    
carefully at  the same time all their   
ancient pretentions3 and this           
insincerity drew  on them the universal 
odium they merited1 mixed with the      
contempt which  ineffectual struggles   
always produce4 ,conciliatory measures1 
in fact1  were only a solemn farce at   
this time2 though the clergy1 rather    
insidiously1 to ingratiate themselves   
with the people1 lamenting the  high    
price of bread1 requested1 that deputies
 from the three orders  should meet to  

deliberate how this grievance might be  
lessened4 ,the  deputies of the commons1
 with becoming dignity1 tempered with   
prudence1  adhered to their point2 and  
dexterously parrying off the artful     
stroke  levelled at their popularity1   
they represented to the clergy1 that    
this  was another powerful motive1 to   
make them entreat all parties to rally  
round the same point1 to remedy evils1  
which excited equal sympathy in  their  
bosoms4    ,the inactivity occasioned by
 these disputes could not fail to       
inflame  the public mind1 especially as 
fresh publications were daily affording 
it fuel4 ,for the liberty of the press  
was now tacitly established1 and  the   
freest sentiments uttered1 with the heat
 of superficial knowledge1  in defiance 
of court manifestoes4 ,still1 as a proof
 that the court  merely endured1 for a  
season1 what they could not prevent1 the
 journal  of the proceedings of the     
states-general was stopped1 by an       
express  order2 to evade which it was   

continued in the form of letters from   
,mirabeau to his constituents4    ,this 
prohibition was probably dictated by a  
desire of keeping the  provinces quiet  
in the stupor of ignorance1 in which    
they had so long  dozed2 but it was     
injudicious to awaken attention by      
rigorous steps1  that1 quickly          
abandoned1 had the very contrary effect1
 exciting1 instead  of intimidating1 the
 spirit of opposition4 ,in reality1 the 
eyes of all  ,france were at present    
directed towards the commons4 ,the hopes
 of the  nation rested on their         
magnanimity2 and the future happiness of
 millions  depended upon their          
perseverance4 ,it was in this state of  
things1 that  they afforded a convincing
 proof to the whole world1 and to       
posterity1  that vigour and precision   
alone are requisite in the              
representatives of  a people1 to give   
dignity to their proceedings1 and to    
secure them  against the machinations of
 all the combined powers of despotism4  

,almost five weeks having elapsed1 and  
the patience of the nation being  quite 
exhausted by the delay1 the commons     
resolved to present an address  to the  
king1 written by ,mirabeau1 explanatory 
of their motives1 and then  to proceed  
to business4 ,but1 previously1 they sent
 a deputation to the  other orders1 for 
the last time1 to invite them once more 
to repair to  the common hall1 that     
their powers might be verified together2
 adding1  that in default of their      
appearance1 they should constitute      
themselves1  and act accordingly4 ,this 
determination was a deadly blow to the  
power  of the two other chambers1 and   
struck directly at the root of all      
distinction4    ,the nobles1 whose      
inveterate pride and ignorance had      
prevented them from  joining the        
third-estate at the first assembling of 
the deputies1 now  saw with dismay1 that
 their power and influence1 like the    
musty rolls of  their pedigree1 were    
mouldering into common dust4 ,the       

clergy1 however1  more adroit1 or rather
 a few of the parochial priests1 by     
degrees1  attended the summons1 and     
repaired to the hall4 ,there can be     
little  doubt1 but that the commons1 at 
the first meeting1 and for a long time  
after1 would gladly have coalesced with 
the nobles2 by which means the  latter  
would have retained many of their       
privileges1 and preserved a  weight in  
the nation1 necessary to hinder that    
preponderance1 on the  side of the      
people1 which it was easy to foresee    
would be productive of  many excesses4  
,this conclusion continual experience   
warranted2 because  it generally        
happens1 that men1 who are not directed 
by practical  knowledge1 in whatever    
business they engage1 run precipitately 
from one  extreme to the other4 ,and    
certainly1 from the state of servility  
in  which the french nation was sunk1   
retaliation was to be expected2 or1 at  
least1 dreaded1 from unbridled liberty4 
,like boys dismissed from school1  they 

might wish to ascertain their freedom by
 acts of mischief2 and by  showing a    
total disregard of the arbitrary        
commands1 that kept down  their spirits 
without exercising their understandings4
 ,however1 the  stupid arrogance of the 
nobles stript them1 before the time     
reason would  have determined1 of those 
idle distinctions of opinion1 the       
symbols of  barbarism1 which were not   
completely worn out of esteem4    ,the  
minister1 still afraid to act           
independent of the court1 blamed this   
spirited conduct of the commons1 as an  
act of temerity1 which the king  ought  
not to sanction4 ,yet they1 firm and    
resolute1 though fearing that  the      
court1 like a dying savage1 mortally    
wounded by his enemy1 might1  during the
 agonies of death1 aim a desperate      
stroke at them1 took the  most prudent  
precautions1 to avoid exasperating the  
falling foe4 ,but  these mild           
resolutions having been mistaken by the 
infatuated nobles1  who confounded the  

true fortitude of moderation with       
cowardice1 the die  was cast1 and the   
deputies declared themselves a          
,,national ,,assembly4    ,enthusiasm   
fired every heart1 and extended itself  
like thought from one  end of the       
kingdom to the other4 ,the very novelty 
of this measure was  sufficient to      
animate a people less volatile than the 
french2 and1  perhaps1 it is impossible 
to form a just conception of the        
transports  which this decision excited 
in every corner of the empire4 ,europe  
also  heard with astonishment what      
resounding through ,france excited the  
most  lively emotions2 and posterity    
must read with wonder the recital of the
  follies and atrocities committed by   
the court and nobles at that  important 
crisis4    ,the ,social ,contract of    
,rousseau1 and his admirable work on the
 origin of  the inequalities amongst    
mankind1 had been in the hands of all   
,france1  and admired by many1 who could
 not enter into the depth of the        

reasoning4 ,in short1 they were learned 
by heart1 by those whose heads  could   
not comprehend the chain of argument1   
though they were  sufficiently clear to 
seize the prominent ideas1 and act up to
 their  conviction4 ,perhaps1 the great 
advantage of eloquence is1 that1        
impressing the results of thinking on   
minds alive only to emotion1 it  gives  
wings to the slow foot of reason1 and   
fire to the cold labours of             
investigation4 ,yet it is observable1   
that1 in proportion as the              
understanding is cultivated1 the mind   
grows attached to the exercise of       
investigation1 and the combination of   
abstract ideas4 ,the nobles of  ,france 
had also read these writings for        
amusement2 but they left not on  their  
minds traces of conviction sufficiently 
strong to overcome those  prejudices    
self-interest rendered so dear1 that    
they easily persuaded  themselves of    
their reasonableness4 ,the nobility and 
clergy1 with all  their dependents under

 the influence of the same sentiments1  
formed a  considerable proportion of the
 nation1 on the rest of which they      
looked  down with contempt1 considering 
them as merely the grass of the land1   
necessary to clothe nature2 yet only fit
 to be trodden under foot4 ,but  these  
despised people were beginning to feel  
their real consequence1 and  repeated   
with emphasis the happy comparison of   
the abb ,seiyes1 #8that  the nobility   
are like vegetable tumours1 which cannot
 exist without the  sap of the plants   
they exhaust4' ,nevertheless1 in        
treating with the  nobles1 the angles of
 pride1 which time alone could have     
smoothed  silently away1 were1 perhaps1 
too rudely knocked off1 for the folly of
  distinctions was rapidly wearing      
itself out1 and would probably have     
melted gradually before the rational    
opinions1 that were continually  gaining
 ground1 fructifying the soil as they   
dissolved2 instead of which  it was     
drifted by a hurricane1 to spread       

destruction around as it fell4    ,many 
of the officers1 who had served in      
,america during the late war1 had       
beheld the inhabitants of a whole empire
 living in a state of perfect  equality2
 and returned1 charmed with their       
simplicity and integrity1 the           
concomitants of a just government1      
erected on the solid foundation of      
equal liberty1 to scan the rectitude1 or
 policy of a different system4          
,convinced of their inutility as nobles1
 these1 when fired with the love  of    
freedom1 seconded the views of the      
commons with heart and voice4 ,but  the 
sycophants of the court1 and the greater
 part of the nobility1 who  were grossly
 ignorant of every thing that was not   
comprised in the art  of living in a    
continual round of pleasure1 insensible 
of the precipice  on which they were    
standing1 would not1 at first1 recede a 
single step  to save themselves2 and    
this obstinacy was the chief cause that 
led to  the entire new organization of  

the constitution1 framed by the national
  assembly4 ,the french in reality were 
arrived1 through the vices of their     
government1 at that degree of false     
refinement1 which makes every man1  in  
his own eyes1 the centre of the world2  
and when this gross  selfishness1 this  
complete depravity1 prevails in a       
nation1 an absolute  change must take   
place2 because the members of it have   
lost the cement  of humanity1 which kept
 them together4 ,all other vices are1   
properly  speaking1 superfluous         
strength1 powers running to waste2 but  
this morbid  spot shows1 that there is  
death in the heart4 ,whatever1 indeed1  
may be  the wisdom or folly of a mixed  
government of king1 lords1 and commons1 
is of no consequence in the present     
history2 because it appears             
sufficiently obvious1 that the          
aristocracy of ,france destroyed itself1
  through the ignorant arrogance of it's
 members2 who1 bewildered in a  thick   
fog of prejudices1 could discern neither

 the true dignity of man1  nor the      
spirit of the times4    ,it also        
deserves to be noted1 that the          
regeneration of the french  government1 
at this crisis1 depended on the         
fortitude of the national  assembly at  
the outset of the contest for1 if the   
court party had  prevailed1 the commons 
would have rested in their usual state  
of  insignificancy1 and their whole     
proceedings proved only a solemn farce4 
,they would have wrapped themselves up  
in their black mantles1 like the  herd  
of undertaker's men at a funeral1 merely
 to follow with servile  steps the idle 
cavalcade to it's resting place2 and the
 people would  only have seen their     
ancient tyranny revive1 tricked out in  
new  habiliments4                       
,,chapter ,,ii4    ,,the ,,national     
,,assembly ,,proceed ,,to ,,business4   
,,opposition ,,of ,,the ,,nobles1       
,,bishops1 ,,and ,,court4 ,a ,,seance   
,,royale ,,proclaimed1 ,,and ,,the      
,,hall ,,of ,,the     ,,assembly        

,,surrounded ,,by ,,soldiers4 ,,the     
,,members ,,adjourn ,,to ,,the ,,tennis 
,,court1 ,,and ,,vow ,,never ,,to       
,,separate ,,till ,a ,,constitution     
,,should ,,be    ,,completed4 ,,the     
,,majority ,,of ,,the ,,clergy ,,and    
,,two ,,of ,,the ,,nobles ,,join ,,the  
,,commons4 ,,seance ,,royale4 ,,the     
,,king',s ,,speech4 ,,spirited          
,,behaviour ,,of ,,the       ,,assembly4
 ,,speech ,,of ,,mirabeau4 ,,persons    
,,of ,,the ,,deputies ,,declared        
,,inviolable4 ,,minority ,,of ,,the     
,,nobles ,,join ,,the ,,commons4 ,,at   
,,the ,,request ,,of    ,,the ,,king1   
,,the ,,minority ,,of ,,the ,,clergy    
,,do ,,the ,,same1--,,and ,,are ,,at    
,,length      ,,followed ,,by ,,the     
,,majority ,,of ,,the                   
,,nobles--,,character ,,of ,,the ,,queen
 ,,of     ,,france1--,,of ,,the         
,,king1--,,and ,,of ,,the ,,nobles4     
,,lectures ,,on ,,liberty ,,at ,,the    
,,palais ,,royal4 ,,paris ,,surrounded  
,,by ,,troops4 ,,spirit ,,of ,,liberty  

,,infused ,,into  ,,the ,,soldiers4     
,,eleven ,,of ,,the ,,french ,,guards   
,,imprisoned ,,because ,,they ,,would   
,,not ,,fire ,,on ,,the ,,populace1     
,,and ,,liberated ,,by ,,the ,,people4  
,,remonstrance ,,of     ,,the ,,national
 ,,assembly4 ,,the ,,king ,,proposes    
,,to ,,remove ,,the ,,assembly ,,to     
,,noyon1 ,,or ,,soissons4 ,,necker      
,,dismissed4 ,,city ,,militia           
,,proposed4 ,,the    ,,populace         
,,attacked ,,in ,,the ,,garden ,,of     
,,the ,,thuilleries ,,by ,,the ,,prince 
,,of                  ,,lambesc4        
,,nocturnal ,,orgies ,,at ,,versailles4 
,the third-estate1 having constituted   
themselves a national assembly1 now     
proceeded to business1 with calm        
prudence1 taking into consideration the 
urgent necessities of the state4        
,closely also attending to their        
instructions1 they first pronounced1    
that all taxes not enacted by the       
consent of the representatives of the   
people were illegal2 and  afterwards    

gave a temporary sanction to the present
 levies1 to avoid  dissolving one       
government before they had framed       
another4 ,they then  turned their       
attention to the object next in         
importance1 and declared1  that1 as soon
 as1 in concert with his majesty1 they  
should be able to  fix the principles of
 national regeneration1 they would      
employ  themselves to examine and       
liquidate the national debt2 mean time  
the  creditors of the state were        
declared to be under the safe-guard of  
the  honour of the french nation4 ,these
 decrees concluded with a resolve1  that
 the assembly1 now become active1 should
 dedicate it's first moments  to inquire
 into the cause of the scarcity that    
afflicted the kingdom2  and to search   
for a remedy the most prompt and        
effectual4    ,the nobles1 bishops1 and1
 in fact1 the whole court1 now seriously
 began  to rally all their forces2      
convinced that it was become necessary1 
to  oppose their united strength against

 the commons1 to prevent their  carrying
 every thing before them4    ,the       
chamber of the clergy had been engaged  
for several days1 in  discussing the    
question1 where they should verify their
 powers4 ,a number  of them1 during this
 discussion1 appear to have advanced1   
feeling their  way2 for when they now   
came to divide1 the majority decided to 
join the  national assembly4    ,alarmed
 by the prospect of this junction1 one  
of the members of the  chamber1 which   
almost arrogated to itself the          
prerogative of  legislation1 that of the
 nobles1 proposed an address to the     
king1  beseeching him to dissolve the   
states-general2 whilst the cause of the 
people was there vigorously supported by
 a minority1 feeble as to  numbers1 but 
powerful in argument1 animated by the   
popularity1 which  their bold           
declaration could not fail to produce   
during the reign of  enthusiasm4        
,this was a moment pregnant with great  
events4 ,the court still trusted to     

subterfuge1 and1 holding the            
representatives of the people in        
superlative contempt1 affected in some  
degree to yield to the prayer of  the   
nation2 though signifying1 that the king
 was the only fountain of  justice1 and 
that he would grant every thing which   
his faithful subjects  could reasonably 
demand4 ,a trick as palpable as the     
design was flagrant2  for at the instant
 they were pretending to see some reason
 in their  requisitions1 they were      
guarding against their obtaining the    
only thing  that could secure their     
rights1 an equal representation2 holding
 for  this purpose mischievous councils1
 composed of characters most obnoxious  
in the eyes of the people4 ,in these    
meetings it was resolved1 to amuse  the 
commons1 until the army could be        
assembled2 and then1 in case of         
obstinacy1 they would draw on themselves
 the consequence4 ,accordingly  the     
#bjth of june1 the day on which the     
majority of the clergy was to  join the 

commons1 the herald proclaimed a sance  
royale2 and a  detachment of guards     
surrounded the hall of the national     
assembly1 to  take care 7such was the   
shallow pretext7 that it should be      
properly  prepared for the reception of 
the king4 ,the deputies came to the door
 at  the usual hour2 but only the       
president 7,baillie7 and the secretaries
  were permitted to enter to take away  
their papers2 and they saw1 that  the   
benches were already removed1 and that  
all the entrances were  guarded by a    
great number of soldiers4    ,courage is
 seldom relaxed by persecution2 and the 
firm and spirited  proceedings of the   
assembly on this day1 gave the decided  
blow to the  stratagems of the court4   
,during the first tumult of surprise1 it
 is  true1 some of the deputies talked  
of going immediately to ,marly1 to      
invite the king to come among them1 and 
in a truly paternal manner to  unite his
 power with their's to promote the      
public good2 and thus by an  energetic  

appeal to his heart and understanding1  
to convince him that  they spoke the    
language of truth and reason4 ,but      
others1 more  experienced in ministerial
 wiles1 calmly advised to adjourn the   
sittings  to the neighbouring           
tennis-court4 ,for they knew1 that the  
hearts of  courtiers are fortified with 
icy prejudices2 and that1 though a      
moment  of sympathy1 a flow of          
life-blood1 may thaw them at the        
instant1 it is  only to render them more
 hard1 when the glow of genial heat is  
passed4    ,assembled at the            
tennis-court1 they encouraged each      
other2 and one mind  actuating the whole
 body1 in the presence of an applauding 
crowd1 they  joined hands solemnly1 and 
took ,god to witness1 that they would   
not  separate1 till a constitution      
should be completed4 ,the benedictions  
that  dropped from every tongue1 and    
sparkled in tears of joy from every eye1
  giving fresh vigour to the heroism    
which excited them1 produced an         

overflow of sensibility that kindled    
into a blaze of patriotism every  social
 feeling4 ,the dungeons of despotism and
 the bayonets sharpened for  massacre1  
were then equally disregarded even by   
the most fearful2 till1  in one of those
 instants of disinterested forgetfulness
 of private  pursuits1 all devoted      
themselves to the promotion of public   
happiness1  promising to resist1 to the 
last extremity1 all the efforts of such 
an  inveterate tyranny4 ,the absent     
deputies were sent for2 and one1 who    
happened to be sick1 had himself carried
 to unite his feeble voice with  the    
general cry4 ,the very soldiers also1   
disobeying their officers1 came  to be  
willing centinels at the entrance of the
 sanctuary of liberty1  eagerly imbibing
 the sentiments1 which they afterwards  
spread through  their garrisons4        
,this indignity offered to the          
third-estate could not fail to excite   
new  sensations of disgust at ,paris2   
and give a fresh spring to the animation

  of the people at large4 ,yet1 this    
spirited behaviour of the commons       
excited only supercilious contempt at   
court4 ,for the gay circles there  were 
so far sunk in fastidious delicacy1 and 
squeamish respect for  polished manners1
 that they could not even discover      
magnanimity in the  conduit of a        
peasant1 or a shopkeeper2 much less     
grandeur in an assembly  regardless of  
ceremonials4 ,and not to be deficient   
themselves in these  respects1 the sance
 royale was put off another day1 in     
order that the  galleries1 which had    
been erected for the accommodation of   
spectators by  the national assembly1   
might be removed4    ,this was another  
injudicious step on the part of the     
cabinet2 because it  afforded time for  
the clergy to unite with the commons1   
who were in  search of a place          
sufficiently capacious to contain such a
 body4 ,at  length1 collected in a      
church1 the clergy1 with several bishops
 at their  head1 and two nobles of      

,dauphine1 joined them2 and the place1  
seeming to  reflect a sanctity on their 
union1 tended to consolidate1 under a   
nobler  concave1 the resolution taken in
 the tennis-court4    ,the following    
day1 the sance royale really took place1
 with all the  exteriour splendour      
usually exhibited at these shows2 which 
hitherto  could scarcely be termed      
empty1 because they produced the desired
  effect4 ,but the public1 having their 
attention turned to other things1  now  
viewed with contempt1 what had formerly 
inspired almost idolatrous  respect4    
,the deputies of the third-estate were  
again ordered to enter by  a separate   
door1 and even left a considerable time 
standing exposed to a  heavy shower4    
,the people1 who were totally excluded1 
formed themselves  into groups1 making  
indignant comments on the repeated      
affronts offered  to their              
representatives1 whole minds likewise   
recoiled at the idle  attempt to impress
 them with an opinion of their          

insignificancy2 when  the very pains    
taken to do it proclaimed their growing 
importance in the  state4    ,the object
 of the king's speech1 on this occasion1
 was to annul the  whole proceedings of 
the national assembly1 and to hold out  
certain  benefits1 as lures to          
submission1 which the king meant to     
grant to the  people2 as if1 observes   
,mirabeau1 #8the rights of the people1  
were the  favours of the king4' ,a      
declaration of his sovereign will and   
pleasure  was then read1 in which1      
making an insidious attempt to withdraw 
from  the assembly the confidence of the
 public1 he declared1 that1 is they     
abandoned him1 he would provide for the 
happiness of his people1 without  their 
assistance1 knowing the purport of the  
instructions given to the  deputies4    
,the first article of the king's        
benevolent intentions1 was  to grant to 
the states-general the power of         
furnishing supplies2  carefully         
specifying1 however1 that it was to     

consist of the three  orders1 who were  
to vote according to the ancient mode4  
,some other  salutary plans of reform   
were also brought forward2 but always   
with  artful modifications1 that would  
enable the old abuses to keep a sure    
footing4 ,for example1 the taxes were to
 be levied equally2 yet a  cautious     
respect for property sanctioned almost  
every other feudal  privilege2 and the  
absolute abolition of lettres de        
cachet1#i though  his majesty wished to 
secure personal freedom1 was hinted at  
as  incompatible with public safety1 and
 the preservation of the honour of      
private families4 ,the liberty of the   
press was allowed to be necessary2  but 
the states-general were requested to    
point out a mode of rendering  it       
compatible with the respect due to      
religion1 to morality1 and to the       
honour of the citizens4 ,the tenour of  
all the rest of the articles was  the   
same2 commencing with a plan of reform1 
and concluding with the  ifs and buts1  

that were to render it void4--,then1    
winding round to  the grand object of   
the meeting1 the king terminated his    
discourse1 with  saying1 forgetful that 
this was not the period to imagine      
himself  reigning at ,constantinople1   
#8,i command you to separate            
immediately1  and to attend1 each of    
you1 to-morrow1 at the chamber          
appropriated for  your order1 there to  
resume your sittings2 and ,i have       
commanded1 in  consequence1 the grand   
master of the ceremonies to order the   
halls to be  prepared4'    ,the majority
 of the nobles1 and the minority of the 
clergy1 obeyed this  peremptory order1  
and obsequiously followed the king1 like
 the trained  horses of his court4 ,the 
members of the national assembly1       
however1  remained sitting1 preserving a
 silence1 more menacing and terrible1   
than  the ,i will1 or ,i command1 of the
 cabinet2 when the grand master of  the 
ceremonies entered1 and addressing      
himself to the president1  reminded him1

 in the king's name1 of the order given 
to separate  immediately4 ,the president
 answered1 #8that the assembly was not  
constituted to receive orders from any  
person2' but ,mirabeau1 who  thought    
this reply too tame1 started up1 and    
addressing the messenger1  said3 #8yes2 
we have heard the intentions which the  
king has been induced  to utter2 and you
 cannot be his organ in this            
assembly4--,you1 who have  neither seat1
 nor right to speak1 ought not to remind
 us of his  discourse4 ,however1 to     
avoid all equivocation or delay1 ,i     
declare to  you1 that if you are charged
 to make us go from hence1 you should   
demand  orders to employ force2 for only
 the bayonet can oblige us to quit our  
places4' ,it is difficult to conceive   
the ardour inspired by this prompt      
eloquence4 ,it's fire flew from breast  
to breast1 whilst a whisper ran  round1 
that what ,mirabeau had just uttered1   
gave a finishing stroke to  the         
revolution4    ,a warm debate ensued2   

and the assembly declaring their        
adherence to  their former decrees1 the 
abb ,sieyes said1 in his dry1 cogent    
manner3  #8gentlemen1 you are to day    
what you were yesterday4' ,a motion was 
then  made1 by ,mirabeau1 who suggested1
 as a prudent precaution against the    
measures of a desperate cabal1 that the 
person of each deputy should be         
pronounced inviolable2 and1 after a     
slight discussion1 it was carried       
unanimously4    ,from this moment we may
 consider the nation and court at open  
war4 ,the  court had at their command   
the whole military force of the empire1 
amounting1 at least1 to #bjj1jjj men4   
,the people1 on the contrary1 had  only 
their bare arms1 invigorated1 it is     
true1 by the new-born love of  freedom1 
to oppose to the various weapons of     
tyranny4 ,but the army1  partaking of   
the common misery1 were not deaf to the 
complaints or  arguments of their fellow
 citizens3 and they were particularly   
led to  consider them with complacency1 

because a just apprehension1 or prudent 
foresight1 had induced many of the      
popular assemblies1 to insert a  clause 
in their instructions1 recommending1    
that the pay of the soldiers  should be 
augmented4 ,thus recognized as fellow   
citizens1 this class of  men1 whom it   
had been the policy of the despots of   
,europe to keep at a  distance from the 
other inhabitants1 making them a        
distinct class1 to  oppress and corrupt 
the rest1 began to feel an interest in  
the common  cause4 ,but the court1 who  
either could not1 or would not1 combine 
these  important facts1 rashly          
precipitated themselves into the very   
quicksand1  into which they were vainly 
endeavouring to drive the commons4      
,as ,necker had not attended in his     
place1 at the sance royale1 it gave     
colour to the rumour1 which had for some
 time prevailed1 that he  purposed to   
retire from the ministry3 so that1 when 
the king returned1  he was followed by  
an immense crowd1 who could not conceal 

their  discontent4 ,under the influence 
also of the same fear1 a number of the  
deputies hastened to ,necker1 to entreat
 him not to resign4 ,and the            
consternation increasing1 the queen1 who
 has ever been the first to  desert her 
own plans1 when there appeared a shadow 
of personal danger1  sent for him2 and1 
the better to cover the project of the  
cabinet1  prevailed on him not to quit  
his post4 ,the object of the cabinet he 
either had not the penetration to       
discover2 or he had not sufficient      
magnanimity to resign a place1 that     
gratified equally his pride and his     
avarice4 ,this measure tended to        
tranquillize the minds of the people1   
though it was undermining their cause2  
for trusting to the integrity of  this  
minister1 who promised1 #8to live or die
 with them1' they did not  perceive1    
that he wanted the energy of soul       
necessary to enable him to  act up to   
the principles he professed4 ,however1  
the cause of liberty1 as  circumstances 

have proved1 did not depend on the      
talents of one or two  men4--,it was the
 fiat of the nation2 and the            
machinations of the tyrants  of ,europe 
have not yet been able to overturn it2  
though false patriots  have led them1 in
 their ardour for reform1 to the        
commission of actions  the most cruel   
and unjust4 ,every thing was effected by
 natural causes2  and we shall find1 is 
we take a cursory view of the progress  
of  knowledge1 that it's advance towards
 simple principles is invariably in  a  
ratio1 which must speedily change the   
tangled system of european  politics4   
,the sance royale produced so little    
effect1 that the assembly1 as if  their 
sittings had never been interrupted1 met
 the next day at the old  hall2 and the 
day after1 the minority of the nobles1  
which consisted of  forty-seven members1
 came to incorporate themselves with the
 commons4  ,all of these1 and           
particularly the duke of ,orleans1 who  
led them1  acquired by this popular     

conduct1 the love and confidence of the 
nation4  ,how far they merited it1      
deceiving the public1 or themselves1    
their  future conduct will best explain4
    ,the interesting events1 in fact1   
which almost daily occurred1 at the     
commencement of the revolution1 fired   
the fancies of men of different         
descriptions2 till1 forgetting every    
selfish consideration1 the rich and     
poor saw through the same focus4 ,but1  
when the former had time to cool1  and  
felt more forcibly than the latter the  
inconveniences of anarchy1  they        
returned with fresh vigour to their old 
ground2 embracing1 with  redoubled      
ardour1 the prejudices which passion1   
not conviction1 had  chased from the    
field1 during the heat of action4 ,this 
was a strong  reinforcement for the     
staunch aristocrats2 because these were 
mostly  good1 but short-sighted people1 
who really wished1 that justice might be
  established1 as the foundation of the 
new government1 though they  flinched   

when their present ease was disturbed2  
and it was necessary to  give more than 
good wishes4    ,this minority of nobles
 must certainly be allowed to have acted
 more  prudently than their peers2 and  
several of them1 the most respectable   
men of that class1 both in talents and  
morals1 were probably actuated by  half 
comprehended principles4 ,the great body
 of the nobles1  nevertheless1 and the  
minority of the clergy1 continued to    
meet in  different chambers1 where their
 idle deliberations marked their decayed
  influence4 ,for1 shrinking into       
nothing1 their present struggles to     
regain their power were as fruitless1 as
 their former efforts had been          
presumptuous4 ,yet the jealousies and   
contumely of the nobility continued  to 
agitate the commons2 who1 animated by a 
consciousness of the justice  of their  
cause1 and feeling1 that they possessed 
the confidence of the  public1          
determined to proceed with the objects  
of their meeting1 without  the          

concurrence of the first order2 proving 
to them1 when it was too  late to       
preserve their factitious distinctions1 
that their power and  authority were at 
an end4 ,in vain were they told1 that   
they were acting  contrary to their true
 interest1 and risking the salvation of 
their  privileges4 ,in vain did one of  
the most moderate of the deputies#aj    
remonstrate with them1 on what1 most    
probably1 would be the consequence  of  
their obstinacy4 ,no argument could move
 them2 and1 blind to the  danger with   
which they were threatened1 they        
persisted to attend their  councils1    
without any determinate rule of action4 
,it is true1 the duke  of ,luxembourg   
declared1 in a private committee held by
 the king1 the  #bfth of june1 that     
#8the division of the orders would      
controul the  exorbitant claims of the  
people1 and preserve those of the       
monarch2  united1' added he1 #8they know
 no master1 divided1 they are your      
subjects3' and he concluded1 with       

emphatically saying1 that #8it would    
save the independence of the crown1 and 
stamp with nullity the  proceedings of  
the national assembly4' ,these were     
manly1 though not  patriotic sentiments2
 and if the court had rallied round     
them1 and  defended them to the last    
extremity1 they would at any rate have  
prevented their disgrace1 by avoiding   
the crooked path of treachery4 ,but     
abandoning all dignity of conduct1 they 
trusted to the art of  manuvring1 which 
defeated by the people1 they were left  
entirely at  their mercy4    ,with      
respect to the improvement of society1  
since the destruction of the  roman     
empire1 ,england seems to have led the  
way1 rendering certain  obstinate       
prejudices almost null1 by a gradual    
change of opinion4 ,this  observation1  
which facts will support1 may be brought
 forward1 to prove1  that just          
sentiments gain footing only in         
proportion as the  understanding is     
enlarged by cultivation1 and freedom of 

thought1  instead of being cramped by   
the dread of bastilles and inquisitions4
 ,in  ,italy and ,france1 for example1  
where the mind dared to exercise itself 
only to form the taste1 the nobility    
were1 in the strictest sense of the     
word1 a cast1 keeping aloof from the    
people2 whilst in ,england they         
intermingled with the commercial men1   
whose equal or superiour fortunes  made 
the nobles overlook their inequality of 
birth3 thus giving the  first blow to   
the ignorant pride that retarded the    
formation of just  opinions respecting  
true dignity of character4 ,this monied 
interest1  from which political         
improvement first emanates1 was not yet 
formed in  ,france2 and the ridiculous  
pride of her nobles1 which led them to  
believe1 that the purity of their       
families would be sullied1 if they      
agreed to act in the same sphere with   
the people1 was a prevailing  motive1   
that prevented their junction with the  
commons4 ,but the more  licentious part 

of the clergy1 who followed with a truer
 scent their own  interest1 thought it  
expedient to espouse1 in time1 the cause
 of the  power1 from whence their       
influence derived its greatest force2   
and from  which alone they could hope   
for support4 ,this schism proved1 as it 
promised1 dangerous to the views of the 
court4    ,the desertion of the clergy  
rendered the mobility outrageous1 and   
hastened the crisis when the important  
contest was to be brought to an         
issue4--,then it was that the king      
perceived how contemptible his          
undecided conduct had been1 and         
exclaiming1 it is said confidently1     
#8that he remained ,,alone in the midst 
of the nation1 occupied with the        
establishment of concord4' ,vain words6 
and this affectation was  particularly  
reprehensible1 because he had already   
given orders for the  assembling of the 
foreign troops3 the object of which was 
to establish  concord with the point of 
the bayonet4    ,this total want of     

character caused him to be flattered by 
all parties1  and trusted by none4      
,insignificancy had distinguished his   
manners in his  own court4 ,actions     
without energy1 and professions without 
sincerity1  exhibiting a conduct        
destitute of steadiness1 made the       
cabinet concert  all their measures     
regardless of his opinion1 leaving to   
the queen the  task of persuading him to
 adopt them4 ,the evil did not rest even
 here2  for the different parties       
following separate views1 the           
flexibility of  his temper led him to   
sanction things the most at variance1   
and most  dangerous to his future honour
 and safety4 ,for it appears obvious1   
that  whatever party had prevailed1 he  
could only be considered as an          
instrument2 which1 becoming useless when
 the object should be achieved1  would  
be treated with disrespect4 ,periods of 
revolution drawing into  action the     
worst as well as the best of men2 and as
 audacity1 in  general1 triumphs over   

modest merit1 when the political horizon
 is  ruffled by tempest2 it amounted to 
a moral certainty1 that the line of     
conduct pursued by the king would lead  
to his disgrace and ruin4    ,seeing1   
however1 that the people were unanimous 
in their approbation of  the conduct of 
their representatives1 and watchful to  
discover the  designs of their enemies2 
it could not but occur to the cabinet1  
that  the only way to lull attention to 
sleep1 was to affect to submit to       
necessity4 ,besides1 fearing1 if they   
continued to resort to their  different 
chambers1 that their plot would take    
wind before all the  agents were        
assembled1 a fresh instance of          
dissimulation evinced1 that  their      
depravity equalled their stupidity4 ,for
 the king was now prevailed  on to write
 to the presidents of the nobility1 and 
the minority of the  clergy1 requesting 
them1 to represent to those two orders  
the necessity  of uniting with the      
third1 to proceed to the discussion of  

his  proposals1 made at the sance       
royale4    ,the clergy immediately      
acquiesced2 but the nobility continued  
to oppose  a junction so humiliating1   
till the court invented a pretext of    
honour  to save the credit of their mock
 dignity1 by declaring1 that the life of
  the king would be in imminent danger1 
should the nobles continue to  resist   
the desire of the nation4 ,pretending to
 believe this report1 for  the secret of
 the cabinet was buzzed amongst them1   
and appearing to wish  to bury all      
rivalry in royalty1 they attended at the
 common hall1 the  #bgth4 ,yet even     
there1 the first step they took was to  
enter a protest1  in order to guard     
against this concession being made a    
precedent4    ,a general joy succeeded  
the terrour which had been engendered in
 the  minds of the people by their      
contumelious perverseness2 and the      
parisians1 cherishing the most sanguine 
expectations1 reckoned1 that an  unity  
of exertions would secure to them a     

redress of grievances4    ,it is perhaps
 unnecessary to dwell1 for a moment1 on 
the insensibility  of the court1 and the
 credulity of the people2 as they seem  
the only  clues1 that will lead us to a 
precise discrimination of the causes1   
which completely annihilated all        
confidence in the ministers1 who have   
succeeded the directors of those        
infamous measures1 that swept away the  
whole party2 measures which involved    
thousands of innocent people in the     
same ruin1 and have produced a clamour  
against the proceedings of the  nation1 
that has obscured the glory of her      
labours4 ,it is painful to  follow1     
through all their windings1 the crimes  
and follies produced by  want of        
sagacity1 and just principles of action4
 ,for instance1 the  sance royale was   
held on the #bc;d1 when the king1 not   
deigning to  advise1 commanded the      
deputies to repair to their different   
chambers2  and only four days after he  
implored the nobility and clergy to wave

  every consideration1 and accede to the
 wish of the people4 ,acting in  this   
contradictory manner1 it is clear1 that 
the cabal thought only of  rendering    
sure the decided blow1 which was to     
level with the dust the  power1 that    
extorted such humiliating concessions4  
,but the people1 easy of belief1 and    
glad to be light-hearted again1 no      
sooner heard that an union of the orders
 had taken place1 by the desire  of the 
king1 than they hurried from all        
quarters1 with good-humoured            
confidence1 called for the king and     
queen1 and testified1 in their          
presence1 the grateful joy this         
acquiescence had inspired4 ,how         
different  was this frankness of the    
people1 from the close hypocritical     
conduct of  the cabal6    ,the courtly1 
dignified politeness of the queen1 with 
all those  complacent graces which dance
 round flattered beauty1 whose every    
charm  is drawn forth by the            
consciousness of pleasing1 promised all 

that a  sanguine fancy had pourtrayed of
 future happiness and peace4 ,from her  
fascinating smiles1 indeed1 was caught  
the careless hope1 that1  expanding the 
heart1 makes the animal spirits vibrate1
 in every nerve1  with pleasure3--yet1  
she smiled but to deceive2 or1 if she   
felt some  touches of sympathy1 it was  
only the unison of the moment4    ,it is
 certain1 that education1 and the       
atmosphere of manners in which a        
character is formed1 change the natural 
laws of humanity2 otherwise it  would be
 unaccountable1 how the human heart can 
be so dead to the tender  emotions of   
benevolence1 which most forcibly teach  
us1 that real or  lasting felicity flows
 only from a love of virtue1 and the    
practice of  sincerity4    ,the         
unfortunate queen of ,france1 beside the
 advantages of birth and  station1      
possessed a very fine person2 and her   
lovely face1 sparkling  with vivacity1  
hid the want of intelligence4 ,her      
complexion was  dazzlingly clear2 and1  

when she was pleased1 her manners were  
bewitching2 for she happily mingled the 
most insinuating voluptuous  softness   
and affability1 with an air of grandeur1
 bordering on pride1  that rendered the 
contrast more striking4 ,independence   
also1 of whatever  kind1 always gives a 
degree of dignity to the mien2 so that  
monarchs and  nobles1 with most ignoble 
souls1 from believing themselves        
superiour to  others1 have actually     
acquired a look of superiority4    ,but 
her opening faculties were poisoned in  
the bud2 for before she came  to ,paris1
 she had already been prepared1 by a    
corrupt1 supple abb1 for  the part she  
was to play2 and1 young as she was1     
became so firmly  attached to the       
aggrandizement of her house1 that1      
though plunged deep  in pleasure1 she   
never omitted sending immense sums to   
her brother1 on  every occasion4 ,the   
person of the king1 in itself very      
disgusting1 was  rendered more so by    
gluttony1 and a total disregard of      

delicacy1 and  even decency in his      
apartments3 and1 when jealous of the    
queen1 for whom  he had a kind of       
devouring passion1 he treated her with  
great brutality1  till she acquired     
sufficient finesse to subjugate him4 ,is
 it then  surprizing1 that a very       
desirable woman1 with a sanguine        
constitution1  should shrink abhorrent  
from his embraces2 or that an empty mind
 should  be employed only to vary the   
pleasures1 which emasculated her circean
  court8 ,and1 added to this1 the       
histories of the ,julias and ,messalinas
 of  antiquity1 convincingly prove1 that
 there is no end to the vagaries of  the
 imagination1 when power is unlimited1  
and reputation set at  defiance4        
,lost then in the most luxurious        
pleasures1 or managing court intrigues1 
the queen became a profound dissembler2 
and her heart hardened by  sensual      
enjoyments to such a degree1 that when  
her family and favourites  stood on the 
brink of ruin1 her little portion of    

mind was employed only  to preserve     
herself from danger4 ,as a proof of the 
justness of this  assertion1 it is only 
necessary to observe1 that1 in the      
general wreck1  not a scrap of her      
writing has been found to criminate her2
 neither has  she suffered a word to    
escape her to exasperate the people1    
even when  burning with rage1 and       
contempt4 ,the effect that adversity may
 have on  her choked understanding time 
will show#aa2 but during her prosperity1
  the moments of languor1 that glide    
into the interstices of enjoyment1  were
 passed in the most childish manner2    
without the appearance of any  vigour of
 mind1 to palliate the wanderings of the
 imagination4--,still she  was a woman  
of uncommon address2 and though her     
conversation was  insipid1 her          
compliments were so artfully adapted to 
flatter the person  she wished to please
 or dupe1 and so eloquent is the beauty 
of a queen1  in the eyes even of        
superiour men1 that she seldom failed to

 carry her  point when she endeavoured  
to gain an ascendancy over the mind of  
an  individual4 ,over that of the king  
she acquired unbounded sway1 when1      
managing the disgust she had for his    
person1 she made him pay a kingly  price
 for her favours4 ,a court is the best  
school in the world for  actors2 it was 
very natural then for her to become a   
complete actress1  and an adept in all  
the arts of coquetry that debauch the   
mind1 whilst  they render the person    
alluring4    ,had the hapless ,louis    
possessed any decision of character1 to 
support  his glimmering sense of right1 
he would from this period have chosen a 
line of conduct1 that might have saved  
his life by regulating his future       
politics4 ,for this returning affection 
of the people alone was  sufficient to  
prove to him1 that it was not easy to   
eradicate their love  for royalty2      
because1 whilst they were contending for
 their rights with  the nobility1 they  
were happy to receive them as acts of   

beneficence  from the king4 ,but the    
education of the heir apparent of a     
crown must  necessarily destroy the     
common sagacity and feelings of a man2  
and the  education of this monarch1 like
 that of ,louis ,,xv1 only tended to    
make  him a sensual bigot4    ,priests  
have1 in general1 contrived to become   
the preceptors of kings2  the more      
surely to support the church1 by leaning
 it against the throne4  ,besides2      
kings1 who without having their         
understandings enlarged1 are  set above 
attending to the forms of morality1     
which sometimes produce  it's spirit1   
are always particularly fond of those   
religious systems1  which1 like a       
sponge1 wipe out the crimes that haunt  
the terrified  imagination of unsound   
minds4    ,it has been the policy of the
 court of ,france1 to throw an odium on 
the  understanding of the king1 when it 
was lavishing praises on the goodness   
of his heart4 ,now it is certain1 that  
he possessed a considerable  portion of 

sense1 and discernment2 though he wanted
 that firmness of  mind1 which          
constitutes character2 or1 in more      
precise words1 the power  of acting     
according to the dictates of a man's own
 reason4 ,he was a  tolerable scholar2  
had sufficient patience to learn the    
english  language2 and was an ingenious 
mechanic4 ,it is also well known1 that  
in  the council1 when he followed only  
the light of his own reason1 he often   
fixed on the most sage measures1 which  
he was afterwards persuaded to  abandon4
 ,but death seems to be the sport of    
kings1 and1 like the roman  tyrant1     
whose solitary amusement was transfixing
 flies1 this man1 whose  milkiness of   
heart has been perpetually contrasted   
with the pretended  watriness of his    
head1 was extremely fond of seeing those
 grimaces1 made  by tortured animals1   
which rouse to pleasure sluggish1 gross 
sensations4  ,the queen1 however1       
prevailed on him not to attempt to amuse
 her1 or  raise a forced laugh1 in a    

polite circle1 by throwing a cat down   
the  chimney1 or shooting an harmless   
ass4 ,taught also to dissemble1 from his
  cradle1 he daily practised the        
despicable shifts of duplicity2 though  
led by his indolence to take1 rather    
than to give the tone to his            
domineering parasites4    ,the french   
nobility1 perhaps1 the most corrupt and 
ignorant set of men  in the world1      
except in those objects of taste1 which 
consist in giving  variety to amusement1
 had never lived under the controul of  
any law1 but  the authority of the king2
 and having only to dread the ,bastille 
for a  little time1 should they commit  
any enormity1 could not patiently brook 
the restraints1 the better government of
 the whole society required4  ,haughtily
 then disregarding the suggestions of   
humanity1 and even  prudence1 they      
determined to subvert every thing1      
sooner than resign  their privileges2   
and this tenacity will not appear       
astonishing1 if we  call to mind1 that  

they considered the people as beasts of 
burden1 and  trod them under foot with  
the mud4 ,this is not a figure of       
rhetoric2 but  a melancholy truth6 ,for 
it is notorious1 that1 in the narrow    
streets of  ,paris1 where there are no  
footways to secure the walkers from     
danger1  they were frequently killed1   
without slackening1 by the least emotion
 of  fellow-feeling1 the gallop of the  
thoughtless being1 whose manhood was    
buried in a factitious character4    ,i 
shall not now recapitulate the feudal   
tyrannies1 which the progress of        
civilization has rendered nugatory2 it  
is sufficient to observe1 that1  as     
neither the life nor property of the    
citizens was secured by equal  laws1    
both were often wantonly sported with by
 those who could do it  with impunity4  
,arbitrary decrees have too often       
assumed the sacred  majesty of law2 and 
when men live in continual fear1 and    
know not what  they have to apprehend1  
they always become cunning and          

pusillanimous4  ,thus the abject        
manners1 produced by despotism of any   
species1 seem to  justify them1 in the  
eyes of those who only judge of things  
from their  present appearance4 ,this   
leads1 likewise1 to an observation1 that
 partly  accounts for the want of       
industry and cleanliness in ,france2 for
 people  are very apt to sport away     
their time1 when they cannot look       
forward1  with some degree of certainty1
 to the consolidation of a plan of      
future  ease4    ,every precaution was  
taken to divide the nation1 and prevent 
any ties of  affection1 such as ought   
always to unite man with man1 in all the
  relationships of life1 from bringing  
the two ranks together with any  thing  
like equality to consolidate them4 ,if1 
for instance1 the son of a  nobleman    
happened so far to forget his rank1 as  
to marry a woman of low  birth2 what    
misery have not those unfortunate       
creatures  endured6--confined in        
prisons1 or hunted out of the common    

nest1 as  contagious intruders4 ,and if 
we remember also1 that1 while treated   
with  contempt1 only a twentieth part of
 the profit of his labour fell to the   
share of the husbandman1 we shall cease 
to inquire1 why the nobles  opposed     
innovations1 that must necessarily have 
overturned the fabric of  despotism4    
,the inveterate pride of the nobles1 the
 rapacity of the clergy1 and the        
prodigality of the court1 were1 in      
short1 the secret springs of the  plot1 
now almost ripe1 aimed at the embryo of 
freedom through the heart  of the       
national assembly4 ,but ,paris1 that    
city which contains so many  different  
characters--that vortex1 which draws    
every vice into it's  centre--that      
repository of all the materials of      
voluptuous  degeneracy--that den of     
spies and assassins--contained likewise 
a number  of enlightened men1 and was   
able to raise a very formidable force1  
to  defend it's opinions4    ,the       
cabinet saw it's rising spirit with     

suspicion2 and1 resorting to  their old 
wiles1 produced a scarcity of bread1    
hoping that1 when the  people should be 
disheartened1 the approaching army under
 ,broglio would  bring the whole affair 
to a speedy issue4 ,but circumstances   
seemed  favourable to the people2 for   
the electors of ,paris1 after they had  
chosen their deputies1 the election     
having been protracted very late1       
continued to meet at the                
,htel-de-,ville1 to prepare the         
instructions1  which they had not time  
to digest before the assembling of the  
states-general4    ,at this juncture    
also1 a spacious square1 equally devoted
 to business  and pleasure1 called the  
,palais ,royal1 became the rendezvous of
 the  citizens4 ,there the most spirited
 gave lectures1 whilst more modest men  
read the popular papers and pamphlets1  
on the benefits of liberty1 and  the    
crying oppressions of absolute          
governments4 ,this was the centre of    
information2 and the whole city flocking

 thither1 to talk or to listen1         
returned home warmed with the love of   
freedom1 and determined to oppose1  at  
the risk of life1 the power that should 
still labour to enslave  them--and when 
life is put on the cast1 do not men     
generally gain that  for which they     
strive with those1 who1 wanting their   
enthusiasm1 set  more value on the      
stake8    ,the turbulence of the        
metropolis1 produced in great measure by
 the  continual arrival of foreign      
troops1 furnished1 nevertheless1 a      
plausible pretext for blockading it2 and
 thirty-five thousand men1 at  least1   
mostly consisting of hussars and        
mercenary troops1 were drawn  from the  
frontiers1 and collected round          
,versailles4 ,camps were traced  out for
 still more2 and the posts1 that        
commanded the roads leading to  ,paris1 
were filled with soldiers4 ,the         
courtiers1 then unable to repress  their
 joy1 vaunted1 that the national        
assembly would soon be dissolved1  and  

the rebellious deputies silenced by     
imprisonment1 or death4 ,and  should    
even the french soldiers abandon them1  
among whom there were some  symptoms of 
revolt1 the court depended on the       
foreign troops1 to strike  terrour into 
the very heart of ,paris and            
,versailles4 ,the gathering army  was   
already a very formidable force2 but the
 spirit of enthusiasm1 and a  keen sense
 of injuries1 rendered more sharp by    
insults1 had such an  effect on the     
people1 that1 instead of being          
intimidated1 they coolly  began to      
prepare for defence4    ,all had heard1 
or were now informed1 of the efforts    
made by the  americans to maintain their
 liberty4--,all had heard of the        
glorious  firmness of a handful of raw  
bostonian militia1 who1 on              
,bunker's-hill1  resisted the british   
disciplined troops1 crimsoning the      
plains of  ,charles-town with the blood 
of the flower of their enemy's army4    
,this  lesson for tyrants had resounded 

through the kingdom2 and it ought to    
have taught them1 that men determined to
 be free are always superiour to        
mercenary battalions even of veterans4  
,the popular leaders had also taken the 
surest means to ingratiate  themselves  
with the soldiery1 by mixing with them1 
and continually  insinuating1 that      
citizens ought not to allow the base    
ministers of  power1 to treat them like 
passive instruments of mischief4        
,besides1 it  was natural to expect1    
that the military1 the most idle body of
 men in  the kingdom1 should attend to  
the topics of the day1 and profit by the
  discussions1 that disseminated new    
political principles4 ,and such an      
influence had the arguments in favour of
 liberty on their minds1 that1  so early
 as the #bc;d of june1 during a slight  
riot1 two companies of the  grenadiers  
refused to fire on the people1 whom they
 were sent to  disperse4 ,but these     
symptoms of refractoriness roused the   
resentment of  the court1 instead of    

putting it on it's guard3 consequently  
several  were sent to prison1 and the   
troops were confined to their barracks2 
yet1 regardless of these orders1 they   
came in crowds to the ,palais  ,royal1 a
 day or two after1 eager to unite their 
voices with the general  shout1 vive la 
nation1 which spoke the present         
sentiments of the  people4 ,the         
regiments of french1 also1 that now     
arrived1 to be stationed  with the      
foreign troops round ,paris1 were       
conducted to this hot-bed of            
patriotism2 and1 meeting with the most  
cordial reception1 they listened  with  
interest to the lively representations  
of the enormities committed  by their   
old government1 and of the meanness of  
those men1 who could  live on the bread 
earned by butchering their fellow       
citizens4    ,whilst these opinions were
 taking root1 the people heard1 that    
eleven of  the french guards1 confined  
in the abbey1 because they would not    
obey  the order to fire on the populace1

 were to be transferred to the          
,bicetre1 the most ignominious of all   
the prisons4 ,the contest now           
commenced2 for the people hastened to   
deliver them1 and1 forcing their  way1  
emancipated their friends2 and even the 
hussars1 who were called  out to quell  
the disturbance1 laid down their arms4  
,yet1 attentive to  justice1 they sent  
back to confinement a soldier1 who had  
been  previously committed by the       
police1 for some other misdemeanour4    
,exasperated as they were1 the people1  
not yet become lawless1 guarded  the men
 they had rescued2 whilst they sent a   
deputation to the national  assembly1 to
 intercede with the king in their       
behalf4 ,this spirited1 yet  prudent1   
behaviour produced the desired effect2  
and the assembly named a  certain number
 of the deputies1 who with scrupulous   
decorum were to  demand this grace of   
the king3 and he accordingly granted    
their pardon1  laying a cautious stress 
on it's being the first request made by 

the  assembly4 ,but it was still        
questionable1 whether this extorted act 
of  lenity were not done1 like the other
 actions of the court1 only to blind    
the preparations that were making1 to   
humble effectually the soldiery1  the   
metropolis1 and the assembly4    ,during
 this period of general suspicion1 the  
presence of such a  considerable force1 
as now was encamped on every side of the
 capital1  particularly alarmed the     
electors1 who held their deliberations  
very  constantly to watch over the      
public peace2 and1 in order to avert the
  threatening storm1 they proposed      
raising the city militia4 ,yet1 before  
they determined1 they sent to apprise   
the national assembly of their          
intention2 wishing the king to be       
informed1 that1 if an armed force were  
necessary to secure the public          
tranquillity1 the citizens themselves   
were the most proper persons to be      
entrusted with the commission4    ,the  
unsettled state of ,paris1 now suffering

 from a scarcity of bread1  furnished1  
however1 a plausible pretext for the    
augmentation of the  troops1 which      
increased the calamity4 #8,when it is   
with the greatest  difficulty1' says one
 of the electors1 #8that we can procure 
provision  for the inhabitants1 was it  
necessary to increase the famine and our
  fears1 by calling together a number of
 soldiers1 who were dispersed  through  
all the provinces8 ,these troops1' he   
adds1 #8were destined to  guard the     
frontiers1 whilst the representatives of
 the nation are  deliberating on the    
formation of a constitution4 ,but this  
constitution1  desired by the king1 and 
demanded by all the provinces of        
,france1 has to  cope with dangerous    
interiour enemies4'    ,the national    
assembly1 likewise1 could not but       
perceive1 that more  soldiers were      
stationed near them1 than would have    
been sufficient to  repel a foreign     
invasion2 and ,mirabeau1 with his usual 
fervour1 animated  them to action1 by a 

lively picture of their situation4      
#8,thirty-five  thousand men1' he       
observed1 #8are now distributed between 
,paris and  ,versailles2 and twenty     
thousand more are expected4 ,trains of  
artillery  follow them2 and places are  
already marked out for batteries4 ,they 
have  made sure of all the              
communications4--,all our entrances are 
intercepted2  our roads1 our bridges1   
and our public walks1 are changed into  
military  posts4 ,the notorious events1 
the secret orders1 and precipitate      
counter-orders--in short1 preparations  
for war1 strike every eye1 and  fill    
with indignation every heart4           
,gentlemen1 if the question were only   
the insulted dignity of the assembly1 it
 would demand the attention of  the king
 himself2 for should he not take care1  
that we be treated with  decency1 since 
we are deputies of the nation from which
 his glory  emanates1 which alone       
constitutes the splendour of the        
throne8--,yes2 of  that nation1 who will

 render the person of the king          
honourable in  proportion as he respects
 himself8 ,since his wish is to command 
free  men1 it is time to banish the old 
odious forms1 those insulting           
proceedings1 which too easily persuade  
the courtiers1 who surround the  prince1
 that royal majesty consists in the     
abasing relation of master  and slave2  
that a legitimate and beloved king ought
 on all occasions to  show himself with 
the aspect of an irritated tyrant2 or1  
of those  usurpers condemned by their   
melancholy fate1 to mistake the tender  
and  flattering sentiments of           
confidence4--,and who will dare to say1 
that  circumstances have rendered       
necessary these menacing measures8 ,on  
the  contrary1 ,i am going to           
demonstrate1 that they are equally      
useless and  dangerous1 considered      
either with respect to good order1 the  
quieting of  the public1 or the safety  
of the throne3 and1 far from appearing  
the  fruit of a sincere attachment to   

the person of the monarch1 they can     
only gratify private passions1 and cover
 perfidious designs4 ,undoubtedly  ,i do
 not know every pretext1 every artifice 
of the enemies of  reformation1 since ,i
 cannot divine with what plausible      
reason they have  coloured the pretended
 want of troops1 at a moment1 when not  
only their  inutility1 but their danger 
strikes every mind4    #8,with what eye 
will the people1 harassed by so many    
calamities1 see this  swarm of idle     
soldiers come to dispute with them their
 morsel of bread8  ,the contrast of the 
plenty enjoyed by one1 with the         
indigence of the  other2 of the security
 of the soldiers1 to whom the manna     
falls1 without  it's being necessary for
 them to think of to-morrow1 with the   
anguish of  the people1 who obtain      
nothing but by hard labour and painful  
sweat2 is  sufficient to make every     
heart sink with despondency4 ,added to  
this1  gentlemen1 the presence of the   
troops heats the imagination of the     

populace2 and1 by continually presenting
 new fears1 excites an universal        
effervescence1 till the citizens are at 
their very fire-sides a prey to  every  
kind of terrour4 ,the people1 roused and
 agitated1 form tumultuous  assemblies2 
and1 giving way to their impetuosity1   
precipitate themselves  into danger--for
 fear neither calculates nor reasons6'  
,he concluded with  moving an address to
 the king1 representing1 that the people
 were  extremely alarmed by the         
assembling of such a number of troops1  
and the  preparations made to form camps
 during this season of scarcity2 and to 
remonstrate respecting the conduct of   
those1 who sought to destroy the        
confidence that ought to subsist between
 the king and the  representatives of   
the people--a confidence1 which alone   
can enable them  to fulfil their        
functions1 and establish the reform     
expected from their  zeal by a suffering
 nation4    ,this speech produced the   
desired effect2 and the motion being    

carried1  ,mirabeau was requested to    
prepare an address for their            
consideration4    ,the purport of the   
address was an abridgement of the above 
speech2  respectful2 nay1 even          
affectionate2 but spirited and noble4   
,yet this remonstrance1 so well         
calculated to preserve the dignity of   
the  monarch1 and appease the agitation 
of the public1 produced no other  effect
 than a supercilious answer1 that only  
tended to increase the want  of         
confidence1 to which disgust gave a new 
edge4 ,for1 instead of  attending to the
 prayer of the nation1 the king         
asserted1 that the  tumultuous and      
scandalous scenes1 which had passed at  
,paris1 and at  ,versailles1 under his  
own eyes1 and those of the national     
assembly1 were  sufficient to induce    
him1 one of whose principal duties it   
was to watch  over the public safety1 to
 station troops round ,paris4--,still1  
he  declared1 that1 far from intending  
to interrupt their freedom of debate1   

he only wished to preserve them even    
from all apprehension of tumult and     
violence4 ,if1 however1 the necessary   
presence of the troops continue to  give
 umbrage1 he was willing1 at the request
 of the assembly1 to  transfer the      
states-general to ,noyon or ,soissons2  
and to repair himself  to ,compigne1 in 
order to maintain the requisite         
intercourse with the  assembly4 ,this   
answer signified nothing2 or1 rather1 it
 formally  announced1 that the king     
would not send away the troops4 ,obvious
 as was  the meaning1 and contemptible  
as was the dissimulation2 yet1 as it    
came  from the sovereign1 the fountain  
of fortune and honours1 some of the     
supple hands of the deputies            
applauded4--,but1 ,mirabeau was not to  
be  cajoled by such shallow fallacy4    
#8,gentlemen1' said he1 impatiently1    
#8the  goodness of the king's heart is  
so well known1 that we might tranquilly 
confide in his virtue1 did he always act
 from himself4--,but1 the  assurances of

 the king are no guarantee for the      
conduct of his  ministers1 who have not 
ceased to mislead his good              
disposition4--,and have  we yet to      
learn1 that the habitual confidence of  
the french in their  king is less a     
virtue than a vice1 if it extend to all 
parts of the  administration8    #8,who 
amongst us is ignorant1 in fact1 that it
 is our blind1 giddy  inconsideration1  
which has led us from century to        
century1 from fault to  fault1 to the   
crisis that now afflicts us1 and which  
ought at last to  open our eyes1 if we  
have not resolved to be headstrong      
children and  slaves1 till the end of   
time8    #8,the reply of the king is a  
pointed refusal4 ,the ministry would    
have it  regarded only as a simple form 
of assurance and goodness2 and they have
  affected to think1 that we have made  
our demand1 without attaching much      
interest to it's success1 and only to   
appear to have made it4 ,it is          
necessary to undeceive the              

ministry--,certainly1 my opinion is1 not
 to  fail in the confidence and respect 
which we owe to the virtues of the      
king2 but ,i likewise advise1 that we be
 no more inconsistent1 timid1 and       
wavering in our measures4--,certainly1  
there is no need to deliberate on  the  
removal proposed2 for1 in short1        
notwithstanding the king's answer1  we  
will not go to ,noyon1 nor to           
,soissons--,we have not demanded this   
permission2 nor will we1 because it is  
scarcely probable1 that we should  ever 
desire to place ourselves between two or
 three bodies of troops2  those which   
invest ,paris1 and those which might    
fall upon us from  ,flanders and        
,alsace4 ,we have demanded the removal  
of the troops--that was  the object of  
our address6--,we have not asked        
permission to flee before  them2 but    
only that they should be sent from the  
capital4 ,and it is not  for ourselves1 
that we have made this demand2 for they 
know very well1  that it was suggested  

by a concern for the general interest1  
not by any  sentiment of fear4 ,at this 
moment1 the presence of the troops      
disturbs  the public order1 and may     
produce the most melancholy             
events4--,our  removal1 far from        
preventing1 would1 on the contrary1 only
 aggravate the  evil4 ,it is necessary1 
then1 to restore peace1 in spite of the 
friends  of disorder2 it is necessary1  
to be consistent with ourselves2 and to 
be  so1 we have only to adhere to one   
line of conduct1 which is to insist1    
without relaxing1 that the troops be    
sent away1 as the only sure way to      
obtain it4'    ,this speech1 delivered  
on the #aath of july1 produced no       
further decision  in the assembly1      
though it kept the attention of the     
members fixt to a  point4    ,but things
 were now drawing rapidly to a crisis2  
for this very day  ,necker1 who had been
 retained in place1 only to hoodwink the
 people1 was  dismissed1 with an        
injunction not to mention his           

dismission2 and to  leave the kingdom in
 twenty-four hours4 ,these orders he    
servilely  obeyed2 and1 with all the    
promptitude of personal fear1 said1     
without  the least emotion1 to the      
nobleman1 who brought the king's        
commands1 #8we  shall meet this evening 
at the council2' and continued to       
converse1 in  his usual strain of       
smoothness1 with the company at dinner4 
,miserable  weakness6 ,this man1 who    
professed himself the friend of the     
people1 and  who had so lately promised 
#8to live or die with them1' had not1   
when1  brought to the test1 sufficient  
magnanimity to warn them where danger   
threatened4--,for he must have known1   
that this dismission was the signal  of 
hostilities3 yet1 fleeing like a felon1 
he departed in disguise1  keeping the   
secret with all the caution of          
cowardice4#ab    ,the next day1 the     
appointment of the new ministry1 men    
particularly  obnoxious to the public1  
made it known to the people2 who viewed 

with  melancholy horrour the awful      
horizon1 where had long been gathering  
the  storm1 now ready to burst on their 
devoted heads4 ,the agitation of the    
public mind1 indeed1 resembled a        
troubled sea2 which1 having been put in 
motion by a raging tornado1 gradually   
swells1 until the whole element1  wave  
rolling on wave1 exhibits one unbounded 
commotion4 ,all eyes were  now opened1  
all saw the approaching blast2 the      
hollow murmurs of which  had inspired a 
confused terrour for some time past4    
,it had been proposed on the #ajth1 at  
the ,htel-de-,ville1 as a  regulation of
 the ,garde-,bourgeoise1 that twelve    
hundred men should be  raised at a time1
 to be relieved every week2 and the     
capital having been  divided1 at the    
election1 into sixty districts1 only    
twenty would be  called out of each4    
,and it was further resolved1 that the  
districts  should rest embodied until   
the entire evacuation of the troops1    
excepting those who formed the common   

compliment of the guards4 ,the          
following day it was decreed2 an address
 was voted to the national  assembly1 to
 request their mediation with the king1 
to sanction  immediately the city       
militia2 and the sittings of the        
committee were  adjourned till monday1  
the #acth4 ,but some of the electors1   
having heard  on sunday1 that the       
populace were all repairing to the      
,htel-de-,ville1  hastened there about  
six o'clock in the evening1 and found   
the hall  indeed crowded with people of 
all conditions4 ,a thousand confused    
voices  demanded arms1 and orders to    
found the tocsin4    ,at eight o'clock1 
the patrol guard was relieved1 at the   
,htel-de-,ville1 and the multitude      
pressed on the soldiers to disarm  them2
 redoubling the cry for arms at the     
moment2 and even threatened to  set fire
 to the hall4 ,but1 still observing some
 respect for  subordination1 they       
demanded1 a little imperiously1 it is   
true1 an  order1 in virtue of which1 the

 citizens might arm themselves to       
repulse  the danger that menaced the    
capital--and amidst these clamours1     
several  precipitate reports painted1 in
 the most lively colours1 this danger4  
,one of the crowd said1 that1 no sooner 
had the news of the dismission of       
,necker reached ,paris1 than the people 
hastened to a sculptor's1 and1  seizing 
the bulls of that minister1 and of the  
duke of ,orleans1 they  were now        
actually carrying them through the      
streets3--,another informed  them1 that 
the multitude had rushed into the       
different theatres1 at the  hour of     
opening them1 and required1 that they   
should be instantly  shut2#ac and that  
in consequence all the spectators had   
been sent  away3--,a third announced    
four cannons1 placed at the entrance of 
the  ,champs ,elyses1 with their        
cannoneers ready to light their matches1
  which were to begin the combat2 and   
that these four cannons were  supported 
by a regiment of cavalry1 which1        

advancing under the command  of the     
prince de ,lambesc to the place of      
,louis #aeth1 was stationed by  the     
bridge that leads to the ,thuilleries4  
,he added also1 that a  cavalier of this
 regiment1 passing by a soldier of the  
french guards1  had fired his pistol at 
him2 and1 that the prince de ,lambesc   
himself had  galloped into the garden1  
sabre in hand1 followed by a detachment1
 who  put to flight the old men1 women1 
and children1 that were peaceably       
taking their customary walk2 nay1 that  
he had actually killed1 with his  own   
hand1 an old man1 who was escaping from 
the tumult4 ,the reporter1 it  is true1 
forgot to notice1 that the populace had 
begun to pelt the  prince with the      
stones1 that were lying ready1 near the 
buildings which  were not finished4     
,startled1 perhaps1 by this resistance1 
and despising  the mob1 that he         
expected1 only by his presence1 to have 
intimidated1 in  a delirium1 most       
probably1 of terrour and astonishment1  

he wounded an  unarmed man1 who fled    
before him4 ,be that as it may1 this    
wanton outrage  excited the indignation 
necessary to fire every spirit4    ,the 
electors being still pressed for arms1  
and unable to furnish them1  at eleven  
o'clock decreed1 that the districts     
should be immediately  convoked2 and    
that they would repair to all the posts 
of armed citizens1  to beg them1 in the 
name of their country1 to avoid all     
species of  riot4--,but this was not the
 moment to talk of peace1 when all were 
making  ready for battle4--,the tumult  
now became general4 ,to arms6 ,to arms6 
re-echoed from all quarters--and the    
whole city was instantly in motion1     
seeking for weapons of defence4 ,whilst 
the women and children rent the  air    
with shrieks and lamentations1 the      
cannons were fired2 and the  tocsins of 
the different parish churches joined by 
degrees1 to excite1  and continue1 the  
universal alarm4    ,still all their    
thoughts were turned on defensive       

measures4 ,many of the  citizens1 by    
ransacking the warehouses of arms1 and  
catching up spits  and pokers1 appeared 
with weapons in their hands to second   
their  determinate countenances2 and    
being joined by some of the french      
guards1  more completely accoutred1     
forced those foreign mercenaries1 who   
had  first awakened their fury1 to      
retreat1 fleeing like the beasts of the 
desert1 before the bold and generous    
lion4 ,though victorious in this        
midnight fray1 because determined to    
conquer1 still they had scarcely  any   
fire arms2 and were as inexpert in the  
use of those they found1 as  the        
inhabitants of capitals commonly        
are--,but indignation made each of      
them1 so restless was their courage1    
seize something to defend himself  with3
 hammers1 axes1 shovels1 pikes1 all were
 sought for1 and clenched  in hands     
nerved by heroism2 yes1 by true heroism1
 for personal safety  was disregarded in
 the common danger4 ,wives assisted to  

beat out pikes  for their husbands1 and 
children ran about to pile up stones in 
readiness for to-morrow4 ,to increase   
the apprehensions of the night1 one  of 
the barriers was set on fire2 and a band
 of desperate robbers1 taking  advantage
 of the confusion1 began to pillage some
 houses4 ,to arms6 was  the cry of      
danger1 and the watch-word of the       
city--for who could close  their eyes8  
,whilst the tocsin drowning the murmurs 
of rage1 and  distress1 made the        
confusion solemn4    ,different sounds  
excited different emotions at           
,versailles2 for there the  heart1      
beating high with exultation1 gave way  
to the most intemperate  joy4--,already 
the courtiers imagined1 that the whole  
mischief was  crushed1 and that they had
 the assembly at their mercy4           
,intoxicated by success1 a little too   
soon reckoned on1 the queen1 the  count 
d',artois1 and their favourites1 visited
 the haunt of the bribed  ruffians1 who 
were lurking in ambush1 ready to fall   

upon their prey2  encouraging them by an
 engaging affability of behaviour1 and  
more  substantial marks of favour1 to   
forget every consideration1 but their   
commands4 ,and so flattered were they by
 the honied words1 and coquetish  smiles
 of the queen1 that they promised1 as   
they drained the cup in her  honour1 not
 to sheath their swords1 till ,france   
was compelled to  obedience1 and the    
national assembly dispersed4 ,with      
savage ferocity  they danced to the     
sound of music attuned to slaughter1    
whilst plans of  death and devastation  
gave the zest to the orgies1 that worked
 up their  animal spirits to the highest
 pitch4 ,after this account1 any        
reflections  on the baneful effects of  
power1 or on the unrestrained indulgence
 of  pleasure1 that could thus banish   
tenderness from the female bosom1 and   
harden the human heart1 would be an     
insult to the reader's sensibility4     
,how silent is now ,versailles6--,the   
solitary foot1 that mounts the          

sumptuous stair-case1 rests on each     
landing-place1 whilst the eye  traverses
 the void1 almost expecting to see the  
strong images of fancy  burst into      
life4--,the train of the ,louises1 like 
the posterity of the  ,banquoes1 pass in
 solemn sadness1 pointing at the        
nothingness of  grandeur1 fading away on
 the cold canvass1 which covers the     
nakedness of  the spacious walls--whilst
 the gloominess of the atmosphere gives 
a  deeper shade to the gigantic figures1
 that seem to be sinking into the       
embraces of death4    ,warily entering  
the endless apartments1 half shut up1   
the fleeting  shadow of the pensive     
wanderer1 reflected in long glasses1    
that vainly  gleam in every direction1  
slacken the nerves1 without appalling   
the  heart2 though lascivious pictures1 
in which grace varnishes                
voluptuousness1 no longer seductive1    
strike continually home to the  bosom   
the melancholy moral1 that anticipates  
the frozen lesson of  experience4 ,the  

very air is chill1 seeming to clog the  
breath2 and the  wasting dampness of    
destruction appears to be stealing into 
the vast  pile1 on every side4    ,the  
oppressed heart seeks for relief in the 
garden2 but even there the  same images 
glide along the wide neglected          
walks--all is fearfully still2  and1 if 
a little rill creeping through the      
gathering moss down the  cascade1 over  
which it used to rush1 bring to mind the
 description of  the grand water works1 
it is only to excite a languid smile at 
the  futile attempt to equal nature4    
,lo6 this was the palace of the great   
king6--the abode of  magnificence6 ,who 
has broken the charm8--,why does it now 
inspire only  pity8--,why2--because     
nature1 smiling around1 presents to the 
imagination materials to build farms1   
and hospitable mansions1  where1 without
 raising idle admiration1 that gladness 
will reign1  which opens the heart to   
benevolence1 and that industry1 which   
renders innocent pleasure sweet4        

,weeping--scarcely conscious that ,i    
weep1 ,o ,france6 over the vestiges of  
thy former oppression2 which1 separating
 man from man with a fence of  iron1    
sophisticated all1 and made many        
completely wretched2 ,i tremble1  lest  
,i should meet some unfortunate being1  
fleeing from the despotism of           
licentious freedom1 hearing the snap of 
the guillotine at his heels2  merely    
because he was once noble1 or has       
afforded an asylum to those1  whose only
 crime is their name--and1 if my pen    
almost bound with  eagerness to record  
the day1 that levelled the ,bastille    
with the dust1  making the towers of    
despair tremble to their base2 the      
recollection1  that still the abbey is  
appropriated to hold the victims of     
revenge and  suspicion1 palsies the hand
 that would fain do justice to the      
assault1  which tumbled into heaps of   
ruins walls that seemed to mock the     
resistless force of time4--,down fell   
the temple of despotism2  but--despotism

 has not been buried in it's            
ruins6--,unhappy country6--when  will   
thy children cease to tear thy          
bosom8--,when will a change of  opinion1
 producing a change of morals1 render   
thee truly free8--,when will  truth give
 life to real magnanimity1 and justice  
place equality on a  stable seat8--,when
 will thy sons trust1 because they      
deserve to be  trusted2 and private     
virtue become the guarantee of          
patriotism8 ,ah6--when  will thy        
government become the most perfect1     
because thy citizens are  the most      
virtuous6                               
,,chapter ,,iii4   ,,preparations ,,of  
,,the ,,parisians ,,for ,,the ,,defence 
,,of ,,the ,,city4 ,,the ,,guards1      
,,and ,,city ,,watch1 ,,join ,,the      
,,citizens4 ,,the ,,armed ,,citizens    
,,appoint ,a      ,,commander ,,in      
,,chief4 ,,conduct ,,of ,,the ,,national
 ,,assembly ,,during ,,the              
,,disturbances ,,at ,,paris4 ,,they     
,,publish ,a ,,declaration ,,of         

,,rights1--,,and ,,offer    ,,their     
,,mediation ,,with ,,the                
,,citizens1--,,which ,,is ,,haughtily   
,,refused ,,by ,,the    ,,king4         
,,proceedings ,,at ,,paris ,,on ,,the   
,,fourteenth ,,of ,,july4 ,,taking ,,of 
,,the     ,,bastille4 ,,the ,,mayor     
,,shot4 ,,proceedings ,,of ,,the        
,,national ,,assembly ,,at              
,,versailles4 ,,appearance ,,of ,,the   
,,king ,,in ,,the ,,assembly4 ,,his     
,,speech4      ,early in the morning of 
the #acth1 the electors hastened to the 
centre of  the general alarm1 the       
htel-de-ville1 and1 urged by the        
necessity of  the moment1 passed the    
decrees1 under deliberation1 for the    
immediate  embodying the                
garde-bourgeoise1 without waiting for   
the requested  sanction of the national 
assembly4 ,the greater number then      
withdrew1 to  convoke their districts2  
whilst the few that remained endeavoured
 to  calm the tumult1 that was every    
moment augmenting1 by informing the     

people of this decree2 representing at  
the same time1 to the citizens1  the    
cogent motives which should induce them 
to separate1 and each repair  to his own
 district to be enrolled4 ,but the crowd
 again called for arms1  pretending1    
that there was a great number concealed 
in an arsenal1 which  nobody could point
 out4 ,to quiet these clamours for a    
moment1 the people  were referred to the
 prvot des marchands#ad4 ,he accordingly
 came1  and requested1 that the         
multitude would confirm his nomination  
to the  function1 which his majesty had 
confided to him4 ,a general acclamation 
was the signal of their consent2 and the
 assembled electors immediately  turned 
their attention to the serious business 
before them4    ,they then established a
 permanent committee1 to keep up a      
constant  intercourse with the different
 districts1 to which the citizens were  
again exhorted instantly to return1 with
 all the arms they had  collected2 that 
those arms might be properly distributed

 amongst the  parisian militia4 ,but1 it
 was impossible to pursue these         
important  deliberations1 with any      
degree of order1 for a fresh multitude  
was  continually rushing forward1 to    
report fresh intelligence2 often false  
or exaggerated1 and always alarming4    
,the barriers1 they were told1 were  on 
fire2 a religious house had been        
pillaged2 and a hostile force was on    
the road1 in full march1 to fall upon   
the citizens4 ,an immense number of     
coaches1 waggons1 and other carriages1  
were actually brought to the door  of   
the hotel2 and the demands of the       
concourse1 who had been stopped  going  
out of ,paris1 mingling with the cries  
of the multitude1 eager to  be led      
towards the troops1 whose approach had  
been announced1 were only  drowned by   
the more lively instances of the        
deputies of the sixty  districts1       
demanding arms and ammunition1 to render
 them active4 ,to  appease them1 and    
gain time1 the mayor promised1 if they  

would be  tranquil till five o'clock in 
the evening1 then to distribute a number
  of fusils2 which were to be furnished 
by the director of a manufactory4       
,these assurances produced a degree of  
calm4 ,taking advantage of it1 the      
committee determined1 that the parisian 
militia1 for the present1 should        
consist of #dh1jjj citizens2 and that   
the officers should be named by  each   
district4 ,many subordinate decrees also
 passed1 all tending to  prevent the    
disasters naturally produced by         
confusion2 and to provide  for the      
subsistence of the city4 ,the french    
guards1 who had during the  night       
assisted the citizens1 now came to      
testify their attachment to the  common 
cause2 and to beg to be enrolled with   
them4 ,the commander of the  city watch1
 a military body1 likewise presented    
himself2 to assure the  committee1 that 
the troops under his direction were     
disposed to obey  their orders1 and     
assist in defending the city4    ,among 

the carriages stopped was one of the    
prince de ,lambesc4 ,the people         
imagined1 that they had caught the      
prince himself2 and1 when they were     
convinced of their mistake1 it was      
impossible to save the coach1 though    
the horses were put into a neighbouring 
stable2 and the portmanteau1  carefully 
detached1 was lodged in the hall4 ,this 
trivial circumstance is  worthy of      
notice1 because it shows the respect    
then paid to property2  and that the    
public mind was entirely fixed on those 
grand objects1  which absorb private    
passions and interests4 ,stung also to  
the quick by  the insulting disregard of
 their claims1 the people forcibly felt 
an  indignant sense of injustice1 which 
rendered the struggle heroic4           
,preparations of a warlike cast were    
made during the whole course of this    
day2 and every thing was conducted with 
a degree of prudence scarcely to  have  
been expected from such impetuosity4    
,trenches were thrown up1  several of   

the streets unpaved1 and barricadoes    
formed in the  suburbs4--,defence was   
the sole object of every person's       
thoughts1 and  deriding personal danger1
 all were preparing to sell their lives 
at a  dear rate1 furbishing up old      
weapons1 or forging new4 ,the old men1  
women1 and children1 were employed in   
making pikes1 whilst the able  bodied   
men paraded the streets1 in an orderly  
manner1 with most resolute  looks1 yet  
avoiding every kind of violence3 there  
was1 in fact1 an  inconceivable         
solemnity in the quick step of a torrent
 of men1 all  directing their exertions 
to one point1 which distinguished this  
rising  of the citizens from what is    
commonly termed a riot4--,equality1     
indeed1  was then first established by  
an universal sympathy2 and men of all   
ranks joining in the throng1 those of   
the first could not be  discriminated by
 any peculiar decency of demeanour1 such
 public spirited  dignity pervaded the  
whole mass4    ,a quantity of powder had

 been carried to the htel-de-ville1     
which the  populace1 for the most unruly
 always collected round this central    
spot1  would probably have blown up in  
seizing1 if a courageous elector#ae had 
not1 at the continual risk of his life1 
insisted on distributing it  regularly  
to the people4 ,this engaged their      
attention a short time2 but  in the     
evening the demand for arms became more 
pressing than ever1  mingled with a     
hoarse cry of perfidy and treason1      
levelled against the  mayor2 which1 for 
a while1 was silenced by the arrival of 
a number of  military chests1 thought to
 contain arms1 and these were supposed  
to be  those promised by the mayor4     
,every possible precaution was          
immediately  taken by the electors1 to  
have them speedily conveyed into the    
cellar1  that they might be given to    
those who knew best how to make use of  
them2  instead of being caught up by the
 unskilful4 ,the french guards had      
merited the confidence of the citizens2 

and four members of the  committee1     
after some deliberation1 were appointed 
to hasten to them1 to  request that they
 would come and take charge of the      
distribution4 ,in  short1 great         
preparations were made1 previous to the 
opening of the  chests2 but--when the   
chests were at last opened1 in the      
presence of a  concourse of people1 and 
found to contain only pieces of old     
candlesticks1 and such like rubbish1 the
 impatience of the multitude1  whose    
courage and patriotism had been played  
with all day1 instantly  changed into   
indignation and fury2 and the suspicion 
of treason on the  part of the mayor was
 extended to the whole committee1 whom  
they  threatened to blow up in their    
hall4    ,one of the electors1 the      
marquis de la ,salle1 now observed1     
#8that the  greatest inconvenience in   
their present cruel situation was the   
want of  order1 and subordination2 and  
that a correspondence of the different  
parts of the grand machine1 so necessary

 to promote expedition and  success1    
could not subsist without a commander1  
known and acknowledged  by the public3  
for all the citizens1 become soldiers1  
are perpetually1'  he adds1 #8exposed to
 spend their zeal and intrepidity in    
superfluous  efforts2 sometimes even    
counteracting their own designs4 ,it is 
necessary  then to name a general of the
 first abilities and experience2 ,i am  
far  from thinking myself worthy of your
 choice1 though ,i offer all that ,i    
can offer1 my fortune and my life2 and  
shall willingly serve in any  post4'    
,this motion produced a new discussion2 
and the duke d',aumont was  appointed   
commander in chief4 ,but1 he half       
declining it1 though he tried  to       
procrastinate his refusal1 the post     
devolved to the marquis de la  ,salle1  
who had been unanimously named second2  
and he entered immediately  on the      
discharge of this important trust4 ,and 
this nomination  contributed to support 
the exertions of the committee2 for in  

spite of  the chaotic shock1 which      
seemed to have thrown into confusion all
 the  parts of this great city1 the     
centre of union formed at the           
htel-de-ville1 by the assembling of the 
electors1 was in a great  measure the   
salvation of the public4 ,this municipal
 power1 created by  circumstances1 and  
tacitly consented to by the citizens1   
established a  great degree of order and
 obedience1 even in the midst of terrour
 and  anarchy4 ,the garde-bourgeoise had
 been assembled in all the districts2   
and the patrols relieved with the       
greatest exactness4 ,the streets were   
illuminated1 to prevent confusion or    
dismay during the night2 private        
property was respected1 and all the     
posts carefully superintended2 but1  at 
the barriers1 every carriage and every  
person was stopped1 and  obliged to go  
to the htel-de-ville to give an account 
of themselves4  ,the public particularly
 mistrusted the design of those who were
 going to  ,versailles1 or coming from  

it4 ,deputations had been regularly     
sent1 to  inform the national assembly  
of the disturbances1 which their danger 
and  the dread of a siege had occasioned
 in ,paris1 and of the measures  pursued
 to restrain the head-long fury of the  
people4    ,the national assembly1      
indeed1 now appeared with the dignified 
aspect  becoming the fathers of their   
country2 seeing their own danger1       
without  timidly shrinking from the line
 of conduct1 which had provoked the     
violence of the court3 and the          
president1 an old man1 not being thought
  equal to the present toils of office1 
a vice-president was appointed4    ,to  
fill this post1 the marquis la ,fayette 
was chosen3 a deputy for  several       
reasons popular4 ,in ,america1 where he 
voluntarily risked his  life and        
fortune1 before the french nation       
espoused their cause1 he had  acquired  
certain just principles of government2  
and these he digested to  the extent of 
his understanding1 which was somewhat   

confined4 ,he  possessed great integrity
 of heart1 though he was not without his
  portion of the national vanity4 ,he   
had already distinguished himself at    
the meeting of the notables1 by         
detecting1 and exposing the peculation  
of ,calonne1 and opposing the arbitrary 
proceedings of the count  d',artois4    
,governed by the same motives1 he had   
proposed1 likewise1  during their       
sittings1 some bold plans of reform1    
calculated to reduce  the public        
revenue1 and lessen the grievances of   
the nation1 at the same                 
stroke4--,amongst these was a motion for
 the abolition of the ,bastille1  and   
other state prisons1 throughout the     
kingdom2 and the suppression of  lettres
 de cachet4 ,and still having the same  
objects in view1 he1 the  very day the  
king's sneering reply was received 7the 
#aath71 laid before  the assembly a     
proposal for a ,,declaration ,,of       
,,rights1 similar to that  of some of   
the american states4 ,the marquis de    

,condorcet had published a  declaration 
of this kind1 to instruct the deputies1 
previous to their  meeting4 ,la ,fayette
 had transmitted a copy of his          
declaration of rights  to the assembled 
electors1 to be read to the people2 and 
nothing could  be better adapted to keep
 them firm1 telling them to what point  
they  ought to adhere1 than the short   
address with which it                   
commenced4--#8,call  to mind the        
sentiments1 that nature has engraven on 
the heart of every  citizen2 and which  
take a new force1 when recognized by    
all4--,for a  nation to love liberty1 it
 is sufficient that she knows it2 and1  
to be  free1 it is sufficient that she  
wills it#af4'    ,mirabeau1 even whilst 
supporting tenaciously the dignity of   
the national  assembly1 felt a pang of  
envy1 that another should bring forward 
such an  important business1 as the     
sketch of a new constitution2 avowedly  
that  the world might know how they had 
been employed1 and what they were       

contesting for1 should they become the  
victims of their magnanimity4    ,it was
 impossible now for the whole assembly  
not to see in the change of  the        
ministry the danger at hand1 the        
approach of which some had affected  to 
treat as a chimera4 ,determined1        
however1 to continue their labours1  in 
the very face of such hostile           
preparations2 yet taking every prudent  
precaution to secure their safety1 they 
sent to inform the king of the          
disturbances at ,paris2 and to point out
 the evils which menaced the  state1 if 
the troops that invested the metropolis 
were not sent to more  distant          
quarters3--offering1 at the same time1  
to throw themselves  between the army   
and the citizens1 to endeavour to ward  
off the  calamities that were likely to 
ensue4 ,but the king1 obstinately bent  
to  support the present measures1 or    
controlled by the cabal1 replied1 #8that
  he was the only judge of the necessity
 of withdrawing the troops2' and1       

treating the offered interposition of   
the deputies with the most  ineffable   
contempt1 told them1 #8that they could  
be of no use at ,paris1  and were       
necessary at ,versailles1 to pursue     
those important labours1  which he      
should continue to recommend4'    ,this 
answer was no sooner communicated1 than 
,la ,fayette moved1 that  the present   
ministry should be declared responsible 
for the  consequence of their obstinacy3
 and the assembly further decreed1 that 
,necker and the rest of the ministry1   
who had just been sent away1  carried   
with them their esteem and              
regret3--that1 alarmed by the           
apprehensions of danger produced by the 
reply of the king1 they would  not cease
 to insist on the removal of the troops1
 and the  establishment of a            
garde-bourgeoise4--,they repeated their 
declaration1 that no intermediate power 
can subsist between the king  and the   
national assembly3--and that the public 
debt1 having been  placed under the     

safe-guard of french honour1 the nation 
not refusing  to pay the interest of it1
 no power had a right to utter the      
infamous  word--bankruptcy4--,in short1 
the assembly declared1 that they        
persisted  in their former decrees3--and
 that the present resolves should be    
presented to the king1 by the president1
 and printed for the  information of the
 public4    ,still the court1 despising 
the courageous remonstrances of the     
assembly1  and untouched by the         
apprehensions of the people1 which      
seemed to be  driving them to the       
desperation that always conquers1       
stimulated the  king to persist in the  
prosecution of the measures1 which they 
had  prevailed on him to adopt4 ,the    
assembly1 thus rendered vigilant by the 
various tokens1 that the crisis was     
arrived1 which was to determine  their  
personal and political fate1 in which   
that of their country was  involved1    
thought it prudent to make their        
sittings permanent4 ,animated  and      

united by the common danger1 they       
reminded each other1 #8that1 should     
they perish1 their country still        
surviving would recover it's vigour2    
and that their plans for the good of the
 public again warming the hearts  of    
frenchmen1 a brave and generous people  
would erect on their tomb1 as  an       
immortal trophy1 a constitution solid as
 reason1 and durable as  time3--whilst  
their martyrdom would serve as an       
example1 to prove1 that  the progress of
 knowledge and civilization is not to be
 stopped by the  massacre of a few      
individuals4'    ,whatever might have   
been the object of the court1 respecting
 the  national assembly1 which was      
probably the slaughter or imprisonment  
necessary to disperse them1 and         
disconcert their theories of reform1 it 
is certain1 that their situation wore   
the most threatening aspect2 and  their 
escape was owing to the courage and     
resolution of the people2 for  the      
breast of the cabinet was too callous1  

to feel either respect or  repugnance1  
when emoluments and prerogatives were in
 question4    ,it was a circumstance    
favourable to the people1 and the cause 
of  humanity1 that the want of common   
foresight in the court prevented their  
guarding against resistance4 ,for so    
negligent were they1 that the  citizens1
 who were early in the morning of the   
#adth every where scouring  about in    
search of arms1 requested of the        
committee an order to demand  those they
 heard were stored up at the htel des   
invalides2 and one of  the electors was 
accordingly sent with them1 to desire   
the governor to  give up to the nation  
all the arms and ammunition committed to
 his care4  ,he replied1 that a body of 
citizens having already been with him1  
he had  sent to ,versailles for orders1 
and entreated them to wait till the     
return of the courier1 whom he expected 
in the course of an hour or two4  ,this1
 answer at first satisfied the people1  
who were preparing to wait  contentedly1

 till one of them observing1 that this  
was not a day to lose  time1 they       
insisted on entering immediately2 and   
instantly made  themselves masters of   
all the arms they found1 to the amount  
of #cj1jjj  muskets1 and six pieces of  
cannon4 ,a considerable quantity of     
different  sorts of arms were also      
carried away from the garde meuble1 by a
 less  orderly party2 and fell into the 
hands of vagabonds1 who always mix in a 
tumult1 merely because it is a tumult4  
,a hundred and fifty persons of  this   
description had been disarmed the       
preceding night at the  htel-de-ville1  
where they had dropped asleep on the    
stairs and  benches1 stupefied by the   
brandy they had stolen3 but1 when they  
awoke1  and requested work1 not having  
any money or bread1 they were sent to   
assist in the making of pikes1 and the  
fabricating of other weapons1  which    
required little skill4 ,none of the     
citizens appeared1 in fact1  without    
some weapon1 however uncouth1 to        

brandish defiance1 whilst sixty         
thousand men1 enrolled and distributed  
in different companies1 were  armed in a
 more orderly1 though not in a more     
warlike manner4 ,the army  of liberty   
now1 indeed1 assumed a very formidable  
appearance2 yet the  cabinet1 never     
doubting of success1 neglected in the   
thoughtlessness of  security1 the only  
way left to oblige the roused people to 
accept of any  terms4    ,paris1 that   
immense city1 second1 perhaps1 to none  
in the world1 had  felt a scarcity of   
bread for some time1 and now had not    
sufficient flour  to support the        
inhabitants for days to come#ag4    ,if1
 therefore1 the mareschal ,broglio had  
cut off the supplies1 the  citizens     
would have been reduced to the          
alternative of starving1 or  marching in
 confusion to fight his army1 before    
they could have been  disciplined for a 
regular action4 ,but directed only by   
the depraved  sentiments of tyranny1    
they deemed assassination the most      

speedy method  of bringing the contest  
to an end favourable to their designs4  
,unaccustomed to govern freemen1 they   
dreamt not of the energy of a  nation   
shaking off it's fetters2 or1 if their  
classical reveries had  taught them a   
respect for man1 whilst reading the     
account of that brave  handful of       
spartans1 who drove back1 at the straits
 of ,thermopyl1  millions of marshalled 
slaves2 they had no conception1 that the
 cause of  liberty was still the same1  
and that men obeying her impulse will   
always  be able to resist the attacks of
 all the enervated mercenaries of the   
globe4    ,the imaginations of the      
parisians1 full of plots1 created hourly
 many of  the objects of terrour from   
which they started2 though the troops   
being  in motion around ,paris naturally
 produced many false alarms1 that their 
suspicious temper might have exaggerated
 sufficiently1 without the help  of     
invention4 ,various accounts of         
massacres and assassinations were       

consequently brought to the             
htel-de-ville1 which inflamed the       
people1  though afterwards they proved  
to be the idle rumours of fear4 ,thus   
much1  however1 appeared certain2 a     
squadron of hussars had actually been   
seen  hovering about the entrance of the
 fauxbourg ,saint-,antoine1 who         
disappeared when two companies of the   
french guards approached4 ,the  people  
of the same fauxbourg observed also1    
that the cannons of the  ,bastille were 
turned towards their street4 ,on        
receiving this  information1 a message  
was sent from the committee to the      
governor of  the ,bastille1 to          
expostulate with him2 and one to each of
 the districts1  desiring them to sound 
an alarm throughout1 to break up the    
pavement of  the streets1 dig ditches1  
and oppose every obstacle1 in their     
power1 to  the entrance of the troops4  
,but1 though the accounts of the hostile
  demeanour of some of the detachments  
in the skirts of ,paris excited         

terrour1 there was still reason to doubt
 the real disposition of the  soldiery2 
for a considerable number1 belonging to 
different regiments1  had presented     
themselves at the barriers with arms and
 baggage1  declaring their decided      
intention to enter into the service of  
the  nation4 ,they were received by the 
districts1 and conducted to the         
htel-de-ville3 and the committee        
distributed them amongst the  national  
troops1 with the precaution necessary to
 guard against the  surprise of treason4
    ,the deputation1 sent to the        
,bastille1 now returned1 to give an     
account  of their mission4 ,they        
informed the committee1 that the people1
 rendered  furious by the menacing      
position of the cannon1 had already     
surrounded  the walls2 but that they had
 entered without much difficulty1 and   
were  conducted to the governor1 whom   
they had requested to change the        
disposition of his cannons2 and that the
 reply he gave was not as  explicit as  

they could have wished4 ,they then      
demanded to pass into the  second court1
 and did not without great difficulty   
obtain permission4  ,the little         
draw-bridge1 they continued1 was let    
down2 but the great one1  which led to  
this court yard was raised1 and they    
entered by an iron  gate1 opened at the 
call of the governor4 ,in this court    
they had seen  three cannons ready for  
action1 with two cannoneers1 thirty-six 
swiss1  and a dozen of invalids1 all    
under arms2 and the staff officers were 
also assembled4--,they immediately      
summoned them1 in the name of the       
honour of the nation1 and for the sake  
of their country1 to change the         
direction of the cannons2 and1 at the   
instance even of the governor  himself1 
all the officers and soldiers swore1    
that the cannons should  not be fired1  
or would they make any use of their     
arms1 unless they were  attacked4 ,in   
short1 another deputation from one of   
the districts had  likewise been        

received with great politeness by the   
governor2 and while  they were taking   
some refreshment1 he had actually       
ordered the cannons  to be drawn back2  
and a moment after they were informed1  
that the order  was obeyed4    ,to calm 
the people1 these very men descended the
 stair-case of the  htel-de-ville1 to   
proclaim the assurances they had        
received of the  amicable intentions of 
the governor2 but1 whilst the trumpet   
was  sounding to demand silence1 the    
report of a cannon from the quarter of  
the ,bastille was heard2 and at the same
 moment1 an immense crowd  precipitated 
themselves into the square1 fronting the
 hotel1 with the  cry of treason4 ,and  
to support the charge1 they brought with
 them a  citizen1 and a soldier of the  
french guards1 both wounded4 ,the rumour
  was1 that fifteen or twenty more1     
wounded at the same time1 were left to  
be taken care of1 in different houses on
 the way2 for that the governor1        
,delaunay1 had let down the first       

draw-bridge to engage the people to     
approach1 who were demanding arms2 and  
that they1 entering with  confidence on 
this invitation1 had immediately        
received a discharge of  all the        
musketry of the fortress4 ,this report1 
confirmed by the presence  of the two   
wounded men1 demonstrated to the        
committee the perfidy of the  troops who
 guarded the ,bastille1 and the         
necessity of sending succour to  those1 
who1 without order or sufficient force1 
had commenced the attack4  ,mean time   
the fury of the people was directed     
against the mayor1 who  endeavoured by  
various subterfuges to appease the rage 
which had been  excited by his vain     
promises of procuring arms4 ,he had1 it 
is true1  several times dispersed the   
multitude by sending them to different  
places with orders for arms1 where he   
knew they were not to be found2  and    
now1 to silence the suspicions that     
threatned to break out in some  dreadful
 acts of violence1 involving the whole  

committee in the same  destruction1 he  
offered to make one of the third        
deputation2 the second  appearing to be 
detained1 to remonstrate with ,delaunay1
 and try to  prevent an effusion of     
blood4 ,a drum and colours were ordered 
to attend  them1 because it was         
supposed1 that the want of some signal  
had  prevented the others from executing
 their commission4    ,shortly after    
their departure1 however1 the second    
deputation returned1  and informed the  
committee1 that1 in their way to the    
,bastille1 they had  met a wounded      
citizen1 carried by his companions1 who 
informed them1  that he had received a  
shot from a fusil1 fired from the       
,bastille into  the street ,st4         
,antoine2 and that immediately after    
they had been stopped  by a crowd1 who  
were guarding three invalids1 taken     
firing on their  fellow citizens4       
,judging by these events1 added they1   
that the danger  was increasing1 we     
hastened our steps1 animated by the hope

 of putting a  stop to such an unequal  
combat4 ,arrived within a hundred paces 
of the  fortress1 we perceived the      
soldiers on the towers firing upon the  
street  ,st4 ,antoine1 and we heard the 
report of the guns of the citizens in   
the  court1 discharged on the garrison4 
,drawing nearer1 we made several        
signals to the governor1 which were     
either unobserved1 or disregarded4  ,we 
then approached the gate1 and saw the   
people1 almost all without any  thing to
 defend themselves1 rushing forward     
exposed to the brisk fire of  artillery1
 that hailed directly down upon them1   
making great havoc4 ,we  prevailed on   
those who had arms1 to stop firing for a
 moment1 whilst we  reiterated our      
signal of peace2 but the garrison1      
regardless of it1  continued their      
discharges1 and we had the grief to see 
fall1 by our  sides1 several of the     
people1 whose hands we had stopped4 ,the
 courage of  the rest1 again inflamed by
 indignation1 pushed them forward4--,our

  remonstrances1 our prayers1 had no    
longer any effect2 and they declared1   
that it was not a deputation they now   
wished for4--,it was the siege of  the  
,bastille--the destruction of that      
horrible prison--the death of the       
governor1 that they demanded1 with loud 
cries4 ,repulsed by these brave         
citizens1 we partook their momentary    
indignation1 so fully justified by  the 
abominable act of perfidy1 with which   
they charged the  governor4--,they then 
repeated to us the information which has
 already  reached you--that in the      
morning a crowd having approached the   
,bastille  to demand arms1 the governor 
had allowed a certain number to enter1  
and  then had fired upon them4 ,thus the
 treason of the governor had been the   
first signal of a war1 that he himself  
had begun with his fellow  citizens1 and
 seemed willing to continue obstinately1
 since he refused  to attend to the     
deputation4 ,through all parts it was   
now  resounded4--#8,let us take the     

,bastille6'--,and five pieces of cannon1
  conducted by this cry1 were hastening 
to the action4    ,some time after1 the 
third deputation also came back1 and    
recounted1  that1 at the sight of their 
white flag1 one had been hoisted on the 
top  of the ,bastille1 and the soldiers 
had grounded their arms2--that1 under   
the auspices of these ensigns of peace1 
the deputies had engaged the  people1 in
 the name of the permanent committee1 to
 retire to their  districts1 and take   
the measures the most proper to         
re-establish  tranquillity--and1 that   
this retreat was actually taking place2 
the  people all naturally passing       
through the court where the deputation  
remained4--,when1 notwithstanding the   
white emblem of a pacific  disposition1 
displayed on the tower1 the deputies saw
 a piece of cannon  planted directly at 
the court1 and they received a sudden   
discharge of  musketry1 which killed    
three persons at their feet--that this  
atrocity1  at the moment they were      

calming the people1 had thrown them into
 a  transport of rage2 and many of them 
had even held their bayonets at the     
breasts of the deputies2 saying1 #8you  
are also traitors1 and have  brought us 
here that we might be more easily       
killed'--and it would have  been        
difficult to calm them1 is one of the   
deputies had not bid them  observe1 that
 they shared the same danger4 ,the      
effervescence then  abating1 they       
hastened back and met #cjj of the french
 guards1 followed  by the cannons taken 
at the invalids1 all marching with a    
quick step1  crying that they were going
 to take the ,bastille4 ,one of the     
deputies1  who had been separated from  
the rest1 further recited2--that having 
been  obliged to scramble over the dead 
and dying to escape1 the people1 who    
recognized him as an elector1 desired   
him to save himself--for that the       
treason was manifest4 #8,it is rather   
you1 my friends1 he replied1 who  ought 
to retire2 you who hinder our soldiers  

and cannons from entering  this         
encumbered court1 where you are all     
going to perish1 for no  purpose4' ,but1
 that they interrupted him in a         
transport1  exclaiming--#8,no6--,no6 our
 dead bodies will serve to fill up the  
trench4'  ,he therefore retired with the
 balls hissing about his ears4 ,these   
recitals1 and the rumour of the second  
act of treachery1 spreading  through the
 city1 violently agitated minds already 
alive to suspicion4    ,fresh crowds    
continually rushed into the             
htel-de-ville1 and again  they          
threatened to set fire to it1 repeating 
how many times the mayor  had deceived  
them4 ,and1 when he attempted to calm   
them by making  plausible excuses1 they 
stopped his mouth by saying1 with one   
voice1--#8he  seeks to gain time by     
making us lose our's4' ,two intercepted 
billets  also having been read aloud1   
addressed to the principal officers of  
the  ,bastille1 desiring them to stand  
out1 and promising succour2 increased   

the public fury1 principally directed   
against the governor of the  ,bastille1 
the mayor1 and even the permanent       
committee4--,outcry followed  outcry1   
and naked arms were held up denouncing  
vengeance--when an old man  exclaimed1  
my friends1 what do we here with these  
traitors6--,let us march  to the        
,bastille6 at this cry1 as at a signal  
of victory1 all the people  hastily left
 the hall1 and the committee            
unexpectedly found themselves  alone4   
,in this moment of solitude and terrour1
 a man entered with affright  visible on
 every feature1 saying1 that the square 
trembled with the rage  of the people2  
and that they had devoted all of them to
 death4--#8,depart6'  he exclaimed1     
running out1 #8save yourselves while you
 can--or you are all  lost6' ,but they  
remained still2 and were not long       
permitted in silence  to anticipate the 
approach of danger2 for one party of    
people following  another1 brought in a 
number of their wounded companions3--and

 those who  brought them1 described with
 passion the carnage of the citizens    
sacrificed under the ramparts of the    
,bastille4 ,this carnage1 the  military 
officers attributed to the disorder of  
the attack1 and to the  intrepidity of  
the assailants still greater than the   
disorder4    ,the accounts of the       
slaughter1 nevertheless1 were certainly 
very much  exaggerated2 for the fortress
 appears to have been taken by the force
 of  mind of the multitude1 pressing    
forward regardless of danger4 ,the      
ardour  of the besiegers1 rather than   
their numbers1 threw the garrison into  
confusion2 for the ,bastille was justly 
reckoned the strongest and most         
terrific prison in ,europe1 or perhaps  
in the world4 ,it was always  guarded by
 a considerable number of troops1 and   
the governor had been  previously       
prepared for it's defence2 but the      
unexpected impetuosity of  the parisians
 was such as nothing could withstand4   
,it is certain1 that  ,delaunay1 at     

first1 despised the attempt of the      
people2 and was more  anxious to save   
from injury or pillage1 a small elegant 
house he had  built in the outer court1 
than to avoid slaughter4 ,afterwards1   
however1  in the madness of despair1 he 
is said to have rolled down large masses
  of stone from the platform on the     
heads of the people1 to have            
endeavoured to blow up the fortress1 and
 even to kill himself4 ,the  french     
guards1 it is true1 who mixed with the  
multitude1 were of  essential service in
 storming the ,bastille1 by advising    
them to bring  the cannon1 and take some
 other measures1 that only military     
experience  could have dictated2 but the
 enthusiasm of the moment rendered a    
knowledge of the art of war needless2   
and resolution1 more powerful than  all 
the engines and batteries in the world1 
made the draw-bridges fall1  and the    
walls give way4    ,whilst then the     
people were carrying every thing before 
them1 the  committee only thought of    

preventing the further effusion of      
blood4  ,another deputation was         
therefore nominated1 more numerous than 
had  hitherto been sent2 and they were  
just setting out on this errand of      
peace1 when some voices announced1 that 
the ,bastille was taken4 ,little        
attention1 however1 was paid them2 and  
the news was so improbable1 that  the   
impression made by the rumour was not   
sufficiently strong to stop  the        
outrages of the mob1 who still were     
menacing the mayor and the              
committee4--,when a fresh uproar1 heard 
at first at such a distance that  it    
could not be distinguished1 whether it  
were a cry of victory or of  alarm1     
advancing with the crash and rapidity of
 a tempest1 came to  confirm the        
unlooked for intelligence4--,for the    
,bastille was taken6    ,at the instant 
even the great hall was inundated by a  
crowd of all  ranks1 carrying arms of   
every kind4--,the tumult was            
inexpressible--and to  increase it1 some

 one called out1 that the hotel was     
giving way1 under  the mingled shout of 
victory and treason6 vengeance and      
liberty6--,about  thirty invalids and   
swiss soldiers were then dragged into   
the hall1  whose death the multitude    
imperiously demanded4--,hang them6 ,hang
 them6  was the universal roar4    ,an  
officer of the queen's regiment of      
guards 7,m4 ,elie7 was brought in on    
the shoulders of the conquerors of the  
,bastille1 and proclaimed by them1  as  
the first of the citizens1 who had just 
made themselves masters of  it4 ,the    
efforts he used to repress the          
testimonies of honour1 which were       
lavished on him1 were of no avail2 and  
he was placed1 in spite of his  modesty1
 on a table opposite the committee1 and 
surrounded by the  prisoners1 who seemed
 to be standing in fearful expectation  
of their  doom4 ,in this situation he   
was crowned1 and trophies of arms       
awkwardly  placed around1 to which      
sentiment and circumstances gave        

dignity4 ,all  the plate taken at the   
,bastille was brought to him1 and his   
comrades  pressed him1 in the most      
earnest manner1 to accept it1 as the    
richest  spoil of the vanquished enemy4 
,but he refused with firmness1          
explaining  the motives of his refusal  
so eloquently1 he persuaded all who     
heard  him1 that the spoil did not      
belong to them2 and that patriotism1    
jealous  only of glory and honour1 would
 blush at receiving a pecuniary         
recompense4--,and1 making a noble use of
 the ascendency which he had over  the  
people1 he began to recommend moderation
 and clemency4--,but he was  soon       
interrupted by the account of the death 
of ,delaunay2 seized in the  court of   
the ,bastille1 and dragged by the       
furious populace almost to the          
htel-de-ville1 before he was            
massacred4--,and soon after the death of
  three other officers was reported4    
,the prisoners listened to these tales  
with the countenances of victims  ready 

to be sacrificed1 whilst the exasperated
 crowd demanded their  instant          
execution4 ,one of the electors spoke in
 their favour1 but was  scarcely        
permitted to go on4 ,the people1 indeed1
 were principally  enraged against three
 of the invalids1 whom they accused of  
being the  cannoneers1 that had fired so
 briskly on the citizens4 ,one of them  
was  wounded1 and consequently inspired 
more compassion4 ,the marquis de la     
,salle placed himself before this poor  
wretch1 and forcing1 in some  degree1   
the people to hear him1 he insisted on  
the authority which he  ought to have as
 commander in chief2 adding1 that he    
only wished to  secure the culprits1    
that they might be judged with all the  
rigour of  martial law4 ,the people     
seemed to approve of his reasoning2 and 
taking  advantage of this favourable    
turn1 he made the wounded invalid pass  
into  another apartment4--,but1 whilst  
he was preserving the life of this      
unfortunate man1 the mob hurried the    

other two out of the hall1 and          
immediately hung them on the adjacent   
lamp-post#ah4 ,the effervescence1       
nevertheless1 in spite of this          
overflowing of fury1 still continued1   
and  was not even damped by these cruel 
acts of retaliation4 ,two sentiments    
agitated the public mind--the joy of    
having conquered1 and the desire of     
vengeance4 ,confused denunciations of   
treason resounded on all sides1 and     
each individual was eager to show his   
sagacity in discovering a plot1 or      
substituted suspicion instead of        
conviction with equal obstinacy4 ,the   
mayor1 however1 had given sufficient    
proofs of his disposition to  support   
the court1 to justify the rage which was
 breaking out against  him2 and a       
general cry having been raised around   
him1 that it was  necessary for him to  
go to the palais royal1 to be tried by  
his fellow  citizens1 he agreed to      
accompany the people4    ,mean time the 
clamour against the rest of the invalids

 redoubled4 ,but  the french guards1 who
 entered in groups1 requested as a      
recompense for  the service which they  
had rendered to their country the pardon
 of their  old comrades2 and ,m4 ,elie  
joined in the request2 adding1 that this
  favour would be more grateful to his  
heart1 than all the gifts and  honours  
which they wished to lavish on him4     
,touched by his eloquence1  some cried  
out--,pardon6 and the same emotion      
spreading throughout the                
circle--,pardon6 ,pardon6 succeeded the 
ferocious demand of vengeance1  which   
had hitherto stifled sympathy4 ,and to  
assure their safety1 ,m4 ,elie  proposed
 making the prisoners take an oath of   
fidelity to the nation and  the city of 
,paris3 and this proposition was        
received with testimonies of  general   
satisfaction4 ,the oath being           
administered1 the french guards         
surrounded the prisoners and carried    
them away1 in the midst of them1        
without meeting with any resistance4    

,the committee now endeavoured to       
re-establish something like order1 for  
in the tumult the table had been broken 
down1 and destruction menaced on  every 
side--when a man entered to inform them1
 that an unknown1 but1  indeed1 a       
merciful hand had shot the mayor1 and   
thus by the only  possible mean snatched
 him from the popular fury1 ,the whole  
tenour of  his conduct1 in fact1        
justified the charge brought against    
him1 and  rendered at least this effect 
of public indignation excusable4--,so   
excusable1 that had not the passions of 
the people1 exasperated by  designing   
men1 afterwards been directed to the    
commission of the most  barbarous       
atrocities1 the vengeance of this day   
could hardly be cited as  acts of       
injustice or inhumanity4    ,the        
,bastille was taken about four o'clock  
in the afternoon2 and after  the        
struggle to save the prisoners1 some    
necessary regulations were  proposed1 to
 secure the public safety4 ,the conduct 

of the men in office  had so irritated  
the people1 that the cry against        
aristocrats was now  raised2 and a      
number of persons of distinction were   
brought to the  htel-de-ville this      
evening1 by the restless populace1 who1 
roving  about the streets1 seemed to    
create some of the adventures1 which    
were  necessary to employ their awakened
 spirit4 ,breathless with victory1      
they1 for the moment1 gave a loose to   
joy2 but the sounds of exultation  dying
 away with the day1 night brought back  
all their former  apprehensions2 and    
they listened with fresh affright to the
 report1 that  a detachment of troops   
was preparing to enter one of the       
barriers4 ,not1  therefore1 allowing    
themselves to sleep on their conquering 
arms1 this  was1 likewise1 a watchful   
night2 for the taking of the ,bastille1 
though  it was a proof of the courage   
and resolution of the parisians1 by no  
means secured them against the insidious
 schemes of the court4 ,they had  shown 

their determination to resist oppression
 very forcibly2 but the  troops that    
excited their resistance were still     
apparently waiting for  an opportunity  
to destroy them4 ,every citizen then    
hurried to his post1  for their very    
success made them the more alive to     
fear4 ,the tocsin  was again rung1 and  
the cannon that had forced the ,bastille
 to surrender  dragged hastily to the   
place of alarm4 ,the pavement of the    
adjacent  streets was torn up1 with     
astonishing quickness1 and carried to   
the tops  of the houses2 where the      
women1 who were equally animated1 stood 
prepared to hurl them down on the       
soldiers4--,all ,paris1 in short1 was   
awake2 and this vigilance either        
frustrated the designs of the cabal1 or 
intimidated the hostile force1 which    
never appeared to have entered with     
earnestness into it's measures4 ,for it 
is probable1 that some decisive  stroke 
had been concerted2 but that the        
officers1 who expected by their         

presence only to have terrified into    
obedience the citizens1 whose  courage1 
on the contrary1 they roused1 were      
rendered irresolute by the  disaffection
 of the soldiers4 ,thus was the nation  
saved by the almost  incredible exertion
 of an indignant people2 who felt1 for  
the first  time1 that they were         
sovereign1 and that their power was     
commensurate to  their will4 ,this was  
certainly a splendid example1 to prove1 
that  nothing can resist a people       
determined to live free2 and then it    
appeared clear1 that the freedom of     
,france did not depend on a few men1    
whatever might be their virtues or      
abilities1 but alone on the will of  the
 nation4    ,during this day1 while the 
parisians were so active for it's       
safety1 the  national assembly was      
employed in forming a committee1 to be  
charged  with digesting the plan of a   
constitution1 for the deliberation of   
the  whole body3 to secure the rights of
 the people on the eternal principles   

of reason and justice2 and thereby to   
guarantee the national dignity and      
respectability4 ,towards the evening1   
the uncertainty of what was passing  at 
,paris1 the mysterious conduct of the   
cabinet1 the presence of the  troops at 
,versailles1 the substantiated facts1   
and the suspected  proscriptions1 gave  
to this sitting the involuntary         
emotions1 that must  naturally be       
produced by the approach of a           
catastrophe1 which was to  decide the   
salvation or destruction of a state4    
,mirabeau1 firm to his  point1 showed   
the necessity of insisting on the       
sending away the troops  without delay2 
and soon after the viscount de          
,noailles1 arriving from  ,paris1       
informed them1 that the arms had been   
taken from the htel des  invalides2 and 
that the ,bastille was actually         
besieged4 ,the first  impulse was for   
them to go altogether1 and endeavour to 
open the king's  eyes2 but1 after some  
reflection1 a numerous deputation was   

nominated2--to insist on the removal of 
the troops2 and to speak to his  majesty
 with that energetic frankness1 so much 
more necessary as he was  deceived by   
every person by whom he was surrounded4 
,whilst they were  absent1 two persons1 
sent by the electors of ,paris1 informed
 the  assembly of the taking of the     
,bastille1 and the other events of the  
day2  which were repeated to them1 when 
they returned with the king's vague     
answer4    ,a second deputation was then
 immediately sent1 to inform him of     
these  circumstances3--,to which he     
replied--#8,you more and more distress  
my heart1  by the recitals you bring me 
of the miseries of ,paris4 ,but ,i      
cannot  believe1 that the orders which  
,i have given to the troops1 is the     
cause  of them3 ,i have1 therefore1     
nothing to add to the answer that you   
have  already received from me4'        
,this reply tended to increase the      
general alarm2 and they determined      
again to prolong the sitting all night2 

either to be ready to receive  the enemy
 in their sacred function1 or to make a 
last effort near the  throne to succour 
the metropolis4 ,nothing could surpass  
the anxious  suspense of this situation2
 for the most resolute of the deputies  
were  uneasy respecting their fate1     
because their personal safety was       
connected with the salvation of ,france4
 ,their nocturnal conversation          
naturally turned on the late events that
 had taken place at ,paris2 the         
commotions in the provinces2 and the    
horrours of famine1 ready to  consume   
those whom a civil war spared4 ,the old 
men sought for an hour of  repose upon  
the tables and carpets2 the sick rested 
on the benches4--,all  saw the sword    
suspended over them1 and over their     
country--and all feared  a morrow still 
more dreadful4    ,impressed by their   
situation1 and the danger of the state1 
one of the  deputies 7the duke de       
,liancourt7 left his post1 and sought a 
private  audience with the king1 with   

whom he warmly expostulated1 pointing   
out  the critical situation of the      
kingdom2 and even of the royal family1  
should his majesty persist to support   
the present measures4 ,monsieur1  the   
king's eldest brother1 and not only the 
most honest1 but the most  sensible of  
the blood royal1 immediately coincided  
with the duke1  silencing the rest of   
the cabal4 ,they had at first treated   
with contempt  the intelligence received
 of the ,bastille's being taken2 and now
 were so  stunned by the confirmation1  
that1 at a loss how to direct the king1 
they left him to follow the counsel of  
whoever dared to advise him4--,and  he1 
either convinced1 or persuaded1         
determined to extricate himself out  of 
the present difficulties1 by yielding to
 necessity4    ,on the morning of the   
#aeth1 the national assembly1 not       
informed of this  circumstance1 resolved
 to send another remonstrance to the    
king2--and  ,mirabeau1 giving a sketch  
of the address1 drew a rapid and lively 

picture of the exigencies of the moment4
 #8,tell him1' said he1 #8that the      
hordes of foreigners1 by whom we are    
besieged1 have yesterday been  visited  
by the princes and princesses1 their    
favourites1 and their  minions1 who1    
lavishing on them caresses and presents1
 exhorted them to  perseverance--tell   
him1 that the whole night these foreign 
satellites1  gorged with gold and wine1 
have1 in their impious camp1 predicted  
the  subjugation of ,france1 and1 that  
they invoked1 with brutal vehemence1    
the destruction of the national         
assembly--tell him1 that1 even in his   
own  palace1 the courtiers have mingled 
in the dance to the sound of this       
barbarous music--and1 tell him1 that    
such was the scene1 which announced     
,st4 ,bartholomew4    #8,tell him1 that 
the ,henry1 whose memory the world      
blesses1 the ancestor1  whom he ought to
 wish to take for a model1 allowed      
provision to pass  into ,paris in a     
state of revolt1 when he was in person  

besieging it2  whilst his ferocious     
counsellors are turning back the flour1 
that the  course of commerce was        
bringing to his faithful and famished   
city4'    ,the deputation left the hall2
 but was stopped by the duke de         
,liancourt2  who informed them1 that the
 king was then coming to restore them to
  tranquillity and peace4 ,every heart  
was relieved by this intelligence2  and 
a cynic1 probably1 would have found less
 dignity in the joy1 than  the grief of 
the assembly4 ,a deputy1 however1       
moderated these first  emotions1 by     
observing1 that those transports formed 
a shocking contrast  with the distress  
which the people had already            
endured4--,he added1 #8that  a          
respectful silence was the proper       
reception of a monarch during a  moment 
of public sorrow3 for the silence of the
 people is the only  lesson of kings4'  
,shortly after1 the king appeared in the
 assembly1 standing uncovered2  and     
without any attention to ceremony4 ,he  

addressed the representatives  of the   
people with artful affection3 for as it 
is impossible to avoid  comparing his   
present affectionate style1 with the    
cold contempt with  which he answered   
their repeated remonstrances the        
preceding evening1 it  is not judging   
harshly to despise the affectation1 and 
to suggest1 that  it was dictated rather
 by selfish prudence than by a sense of 
justice1  or a feeling of humanity4 ,he 
lamented the disorder that reigned in   
the  capital1 and requested them to     
think of some method to bring back order
  and tranquillity4 ,he alluded to the  
report1 that the personal safety of  the
 deputies had been menaced2 and1 with   
contemptible duplicity asked1  if his   
well-known character did not give the   
lie to such a  rumour4--,reckoning then1
 he concluded1 on the love and fidelity 
of his  subjects1 he had given orders to
 the troops to repair to more distant   
quarters--and he authorized1 nay1       
invited them1 to make known his         

intentions to the metropolis4    ,this  
speech was interrupted and followed by  
the most lively expression  of applause2
 though the sagacity of a number of the 
deputies could not  possibly have been  
clouded by their sympathy3 and the king 
returning to  the palace on foot1 great 
part of the assembly escorted him1      
joined by a  concourse of people1 who   
rent the air with their benedictions4   
,the  declaration of ,louis1 that1      
trusting to the representatives of the  
people1 he had ordered the troops to    
withdraw from ,versailles1 being  spread
 abroad1 every person1 feeling relieved 
from the oppression of  fear1 and       
unshackled from the fetters of          
despotism1 threw off care2 and  the     
national assembly immediately appointed 
eighty-four of it's most  respectable   
members1 to convey to ,paris the glad   
intelligence2 that the  harrassed       
parisians might participate in the joy  
they had procured the  assembly1 by the 
most noble exertions4    ,arrived at    

,paris1 they were received with         
enthusiasm1 as the saviours of  their   
country2 and saw there more than a      
hundred thousand men in arms1  formed   
into companies2 showing the superiority 
of a nation rising in  it's own defence1
 compared with the mercenary machines of
 tyranny4 ,the  transports of the       
people1 and the sympathy of the         
deputies1 must have  formed a highly    
interesting scene3 success elevating the
 heart for the  moment1 and hope gilding
 the future prospect4--,but the         
imagination would  languidly pourtray   
this dazzling sunshine1 depressed by the
 recollection  of the sinister events1  
that have since clouded the bright      
beams4  ,precluded then by melancholy   
reflections from rejoicing with the     
happy  throng1 it is necessary to turn  
our attention to the circumstances1 from
  which mankind may draw                
instruction3--and the first that present
  themselves to our notice are those    
which disconcerted the flagitious  plan 

of the ministry2--the regulations that  
preserved order in the  metropolis2--the
 astonishing reduction of the           
,bastille2--the union of the  french    
guards with the citizens2--the prompt   
establishment of a city  militia2--and1 
in short1 the behaviour of the people1  
who showed neither  a thirst for        
pillage1 nor a fondness for tumult4     
,the court by their criminal enterprises
 had entirely disorded the  political   
machines1 that sustained the old worn   
out government#ai2  which1 worm-eaten in
 all it's pillars1 and rotten in all    
it's joints1  fell at the first         
shock--never to rise again4 ,the        
destruction of the  ,bastille--that     
fortress of tyranny6 which for two      
centuries had been the  shame and       
terrour of the metropolis#bj1 was the   
sentence of death of  the old           
constitution4    ,the junction of the   
three orders in fact securing the power 
of the  national assembly1 and making   
the court appear a cipher1 could not    

fail  to prove sorely mortifying to it's
 old minions2 and the success of the    
people on the #adth of july proclaiming 
their supremacy1 the courtiers1         
resorting to their old arts1 suggested  
to the king a line of conduct the  most 
plausible and flattering to the         
inconsiderate partizans of a            
revolution2 whilst it betrayed to the   
more discerning a dissimulation as      
palpable as the motives of the advisers 
were flagrantly interested4 ,for  their 
views being narrowed by the depravity of
 their character1 they  imagined1 that  
his apparent acquiescence1 exciting the 
admiration and  affection of the nation1
 would be the surest mode of procuring  
him that  consequence in the government1
 which ultimately might tend to         
overthrow  what they termed an upstart  
legislature2 and1 by the appropriation  
of  chances1 reinstate the tyranny of   
unlimited monarchy4    ,this serious    
farce commenced previous to that        
memorable epocha2 and in  marking the   

prominent features of the events that   
led to the disasters1  which have       
sullied the glory of the revolution1 it 
is impossible to keep  too near in view 
the arts of the acting parties2 and the 
credulity and  enthusiasm of the people1
 who1 invariably directing their        
attention to  the same point1 have      
always been governed in their sentiments
 of men by  the most popular anarchists4
 ,for this is the only way to form a    
just  opinion of the various changes of 
men1 who1 supplanting each other1 with  
such astonishing rapidity1 have produced
 the most fatal calamities4    ,the     
cabinet1 indeed1 the better to disguise 
their secret machinations1  made the    
king declare1 the #bc;d of june1 that   
#8he annulled and dissolved  all powers 
and restrictions1 which by cramping the 
liberty of the  deputies would hinder   
them either from adopting the form of   
deliberation  by orders separately1 or  
in common1 by the distinct voice of the 
three  orders1' absolutely gave his     

sanction for constituting the national  
assembly one and indivisible4--,and in  
the same declaration1 article the  #fth1
 he says1 #8that he will not suffer the 
cahiers1 or mandates1 to be  regarded as
 dictatorial2 for they were only to be  
considered as simple  instructions1     
entrusted to the conscience and free    
opinion of the  deputies1 who have been 
chosen4' ,this was giving them unbounded
 latitude  for their actions4--,this was
 not only a tacit consent to their      
proceedings2 but it was granting them   
all his authority to frame a            
constitution4--,it was legalizing their 
actions1 even according to the          
arbitrary rules of the old despotism2   
and abrogating in a formal manner  that 
imaginary authority1 the sanction of    
which1 at a former period1  would have  
been necessary to their existence as    
representatives of the  people4--,but   
happily that period had passed away2 and
 those men1 who had  known no rule of   
action paramount to the commands of     

their sovereign1  were now sufficiently 
enlightened1 to demand a restitution of 
their  long-estranged rights2--and a    
constitution1 upon which they could     
consolidate their liberty and national  
fraternity4    ,this imperious demand   
was irresistible2 and the cabinet1      
unable to check  the current of opinion1
 had recourse to those stratagems1      
which1 leading  to their ruin1 has      
buried in the wreck all that vain       
grandeur elevated  on the spoil of      
industry1 whilst it's gilding obscured  
the sad objects  of misery that pined   
under it's shade4 ,lively sanguine      
minds1 disgusted  with the vices and    
artificial manners produced by the great
 inequality  of conditions in ,france1  
naturally hailed the dawn of a new day1 
when  the ,bastille was destroyed2 and  
freedom1 like a lion roused from his    
lair1 rose with dignity1 and calmly     
shook herself4--,with delight they      
marked her noble pace1 without ever     
supposing that the tiger1 who  thirsts  

for blood1 and the whole brutal herd1   
must necessarily unite  against         
her4--,yet this has been the case2 the  
dogs of war have been let  loose1 and   
corruption has swarmed with noxious     
life4--,but let not the  coldly wise    
exult1 that their heads were not led    
astray by their hearts2  or imagine1    
that the improvement of the times does  
not betoken a change  of government1    
gradually taking place to meliorate the 
fate of man2 for1  in spite of the      
perverse conduct of beings spoilt by the
 old system1 the  preponderancy of truth
 has rendered principles in some        
respects  triumphant over men2 and      
instruments of mischief have wondered at
 the  good which they have unwittingly  
produced4                               
,,chapter ,,iv4  ,,reflections ,,on     
,,the ,,conduct ,,of ,,the ,,court ,,and
 ,,king4 ,,injurious ,,consequences     
,,of ,,the ,,complication ,,of ,,laws4  
,,general ,,diffusion ,,of ,,knowledge4 
,,state ,,of  ,,civilization ,,amongst  

,,the ,,ancients1 ,,it',s ,,progress4   
,,the ,,croisades1 ,,and ,,the          
,,reformation4 ,,early ,,freedom ,,of   
,,britain4 ,,the ,,british              
,,constitution4 ,,fate ,,of             
,,liberty ,,in ,,europe4 ,,russia4      
,,decline ,,of ,,the ,,aristotelian     
,,philosophy4  ,,descartes4 ,,newton4   
,,education ,,improved4 ,,germany4      
,,frederic ,,ii4 ,,of ,,prussia4        
,the effect produced by the duplicity of
 courts must be very great1 when  the   
vicissitudes1 which had happened at     
,versailles1 could not teach  every     
person of common sense1 that the moment 
was arrived1 when  subterfuge and       
treachery could no longer escape        
detection and  punishment2 and that the 
only possibility of obtaining the       
durable  confidence of the people was by
 that strict attention to justice1 which
  produces a dignified sincerity of     
action4 ,for after the unravelling of   
the plot1 contrived to cheat the        
expectation of the people1 it was       

natural to suppose1 that they would     
entertain the most wakeful suspicion  of
 every person who had been privy to it4 
,it would have been fortunate for       
,france1 and the unhappy ,louis1 if his 
counsellors could have profited by      
experience4 ,but1 still pursuing the    
old track1 bounding over the mine1 the  
bursting of which had for a  moment     
disconcerted them1 we shall find1 that  
the continual  dissimulation of the     
king1 and the stratagems of his         
advisers1 were the  principal1 though   
perhaps not the sole cause of his ruin4 
,he appears to  have sometimes          
mistrusted the cabal2 yet1 with that    
mixture of facility  and obstinacy in   
his character1 the concomitants of      
indolence of mind1  he allowed himself  
to be governed without attempting to    
form any  principle of action to        
regulate his conduct4 ,for if he had    
ever really  desired to be useful to his
 people1 and to lighten their           
accumulated  burdens1 as has been       

continually insisted1 he was            
astonishingly  defective in judgment not
 to see1 that he was surrounded with    
sycophants1 who fattened on their hearts
 blood1 using his own hand to  brand his
 name with infamy4 ,it may possibly be  
urged in reply1 that this  yielding     
temper was a proof of the king's benign 
desire to promote the  felicity of his  
subjects1 and prevent the horrours of   
anarchy4 ,to  confute such remarks1 it  
is only necessary to state1 that the    
preparations which had been made to     
dissolve the national assembly1 and  to 
reduce the people to entire subjection1 
if they were not his  immediate         
contrivance1 must have had his sanction1
 to give them  efficiency2 and that the 
tergiversation1 which he employed on    
this  occasion1 was sufficient to make  
every other transaction of his reign    
suspected4 ,and this will be found to be
 the case in all the steps he           
afterwards took to conciliate the       
people1 which were little regarded      

after the evaporation of the lively     
emotions they excited2 whilst the  want 
of morals in the court1 and even in the 
assembly1 made a prevailing  mistrust   
produce a capriciousness of conduct     
throughout the empire4  ,perhaps1 it is 
vain to expect1 that a depraved nation1 
whatever examples  of heroism1 and noble
 instances of disinterested conduct1 it 
may exhibit  on sudden emergencies1 or  
at the first statement of an useful     
reform1  will ever pursue with          
steadiness the great objects of public  
good1 in  the direct path of virtuous   
ambition4    ,if the calamities1        
however1 which have followed in ,france 
the taking of  the ,bastille1 a noble   
effort1 be attributed partly to         
ignorance1 or only  to want of morals1  
the evils are in no degree lessened2    
neither does it  justify the conduct of 
the virulent opposers of those manly    
exertions  inspired by the voice of     
reason4 ,the removal of a thousand      
grinding  oppressions had been          

demanded2--and promised1 to delude the  
public2 who  finding1 at last1 that the 
hopes1 which had softened their misery1 
were  likely to be blasted by the       
intrigues of courtiers1 can we wonder1  
that  the worm these courtiers were     
trying to crush1 turned on the foot     
prepared to stamp it to nothing4    ,the
 complication of laws in every country  
has tended to bewilder the              
understanding of man in the science of  
government2 and whilst artful           
politicians have taken advantage of the 
ignorance or credulity of their  fellow 
citizens1 it was impossible to prevent a
 degeneracy of morals1  because impunity
 will always be a stimulus to the       
passions4 ,this has  been the cause of  
the insincerity1 which has so long      
disgraced the  courts of ,europe1 and   
pervading every class of men in their   
offices or  employ1 has extended it's   
poison throughout the higher orders of  
society2 and it will require a          
simplification of laws1 an establishment

  of equal rights1 and the              
responsibility of ministers1 to secure a
 just  and enlightened policy4 ,but till
 this be effected1 it ought not to      
surprize us1 should we hear the mock    
patriots of the day declaiming  about   
public reform1 merely to answer sinister
 purposes2 or should we  chance to      
discover1 that the most extolled        
characters have ben actuated  by a      
miserable selfishness1 or prompted by   
corroding resentment1 to  exertions for 
the public good2 whilst historians have 
ignorantly  attributed the political    
advantages1 which have been attained by 
a  gradual improvement of manners1 to   
their resolution1 and the virtuous      
exercise of their talents4    ,and we   
ought not to be discouraged from        
attempting this simplification1  because
 no country has yet been able to do it2 
since it seems clear1  that manners and 
government have been in a continual and 
progressive  state of improvement1 and  
that the extension of knowledge1 a truth

  capable of demonstration1 was never at
 any period so general as at  present4  
,if at one epocha of civilization we    
know1 that all the improvements  which  
were made in arts and sciences were     
suddenly overturned1 both in  ,greece   
and ,rome1 we need not inquire1 why     
superficial reasoners have  been induced
 to think1 that there is only a certain 
degree of  civilization to which men are
 capable of attaining1 without receding 
back to a state of barbarism1 by the    
horrid consequences of anarchy2  though 
it may be necessary to observe1 that the
 causes which produced  that event can  
never have the same effect              
again3--because a degree of  knowledge  
has been diffused through society by the
 invention of  printing1 which no       
inundation of barbarians can eradicate4 
,besides1 the  improvement of           
governments do not now depend on the    
genius of particular  men2 but on the   
impetus given to the whole society by   
the discovery of  useful truths4 ,the   

opposers then of popular governments may
 tell us1 if  they please1 that         
,themistocles had no motive in saving   
his country1 but  to gratify his        
ambition2 that ,cicero was vain1 and    
,brutus only envious  of the growing    
greatness of ,csar4--,or1 to approach   
our own times2--that1  if the           
supercilious ,wedderburne had not       
offered an indignity to  ,franklin1 he  
never would have become an advocate for 
american  independence2 and that1 if    
,mirabeau had not suffered in prison1 he
 never  would have written against the  
lettres de cachet1 or espoused the      
cause of the people4--,all of which     
assertions ,i am willing to admit1      
because they exactly prove what ,i wish 
to enforce2 namely1 that--though  bad   
morals1 and worse laws1 have helped to  
deprave the passions of men  to such a  
degree1 as to make the benefits which   
society has derived from  the talents or
 exertions of individuals to arise from 
selfish  considerations1 still it has   

been in a state of gradual improvement1 
and  has arrived at such a pitch of     
comparative perfection1 that the most   
arbitrary governments in ,europe1       
,russia excepted1 begin to treat their  
subjects as human beings1 feeling like  
men1 and with some powers of  thinking4 
,the most high degree of civilization   
amongst the ancients1 on the  contrary1 
seems to have consisted in the          
perfection the arts1 including          
language1 attained2 whilst the people1  
only domesticated brutes1 were  governed
 and amused by religious shows1 that    
stand on record as the most  egregious  
insult ever offered to the human        
understanding4 ,women were in  a state  
of bondage2 though the men1 who gave way
 to the most unbridled  excesses1 even  
to the outraging of nature1 expected    
that they should be  chaste2 and took   
the only method to render them so in    
such a depraved  state of society1 by   
ruling them with a rod of iron2 making  
them1  excepting the courtezans1 merely 

household1 breeding animals4    ,the    
state of slavery1 likewise1 of a large  
proportion of men1 tended  probably1    
more than any other circumstance1 to    
degrade the whole circle  of society4   
,for whilst it gave that air of         
arrogance1 which has falsely  been      
called dignity1 to one class1 the other 
acquired the servile mien  that fear    
always impresses on the relaxed         
countenance4 ,it may be  delivered1 ,i  
should imagine1 as an aphorism1 that    
when one leading  principle of action is
 founded on injustice1 it sophisticates 
the whole  character4    ,in the systems
 of government of the ancients1 in the  
perfection of the  arts1 and in the     
ingenious conjectures which supplied the
 place of  science1 we see1 however1 all
 that the human passions can do to give 
grandeur to the human character2 but we 
only see the heroism that was  the      
effect of passion1 if we except         
,aristides4 ,for during this youth of   
the world1 the imagination alone was    

cultivated1 and the subordinate         
understanding merely exercised to       
regulate the taste1 without extending   
to it's grand employ1 the forming of    
principles4    ,the laws1 made by       
ambition rather than reason1 treated    
with contempt the  sacred equality of   
man1 anxious only to aggrandize1 first  
the state and  afterwards individuals3  
consequently1 the civilization never    
extended  beyond polishing the manners1 
often at the expence of the heart1 or   
morals2 for the two modes of expression 
have1 ,i conceive1 precisely the  same  
signification1 though the latter may    
have more extent4 ,to what  purpose then
 do semi-philosophers exultingly show1  
that the vices of one  country are not  
the vices of another2 as if this would  
prove1 that  morality has no solid      
foundation2 when all their examples are 
taken from  nations just emerging out of
 barbarism1 regulating society on the   
narrow  scale of opinions suggested by  
their passions1 and the necessity of the

  moment8 ,what1 indeed1 do these       
examples prove8 ,unless they be allowed 
to  substantiate my observation1 that   
civilization has hitherto been only a   
perfection of the arts2 and a partial   
melioration of manners1 tending  more to
 embellish the superiour rank of        
society1 than to improve the  situation 
of all mankind4 ,sentiments were often  
noble1 sympathies  just--yet the life of
 most men of the first class was made up
 of a series  of unjust acts1 because   
the regulations thought expedient to    
cement  society1 did violence to natural
 justice4 ,venerable as age has rendered
  many of these regulations1 cold       
substitutes for moral principles1 it    
would be a kind of sacrilege not to     
strip them of their gothic vests4  ,and 
where then will be found the man who    
will simply say--that a king can  do no 
wrong2 and that1 committing the vilest  
crimes to sully his mind1  his person   
still remains sacred8--,who will dare to
 assert1 that the  priest1 who takes    

advantage of the dying fears of a       
vicious man1 to  cheat his heirs1 is not
 more despicable than a highwayman8--or 
that  obedience to parents should go one
 jot beyond the deference due to        
reason1 enforced by affection8--,and who
 will coolly maintain1 that it is  just 
to deprive a woman1 not to insist on her
 being treated as an  outcast of        
society1 of all the rights of a citizen1
 because her  revolting heart turns from
 the man1 whom1 a husband only in name1 
and by  the tyrannical power he has over
 her person and property1 she can       
neither love nor respect1 to find       
comfort in a more congenial or humane   
bosom8 ,these are a few of the leading  
prejudices1 in the present  constitution
 of society1 that blast the blossoms of 
hope1 and render  life wretched and     
useless--,and1 when such were tolerated1
 nay1 reckoned  sacred1 who can find    
more than doubtful traces of the        
perfection of man  in a system of       
association pervaded with such abuses8  

,voluptuousness  alone softened the     
character down to tenderness of heart2  
and as taste  was cultivated1 peace was 
sought1 rather because it was           
convenient1 than  because it was just4  
,but1 when war could not be avoided1 men
 were hired  by the rich to secure to   
them the quiet enjoyment of their       
luxuries2 so  that war1 become a trade1 
did not render ferocious all those who  
directly1 or indirectly waged it4       
,when1 therefore1 the improvements of   
civil life consisted almost  entirely in
 polishing the manners1 and exercising  
the transient  sympathies of the heart1 
it is clear1 that this partial          
civilization  must have worn itself out 
by destroying all energy of mind4 ,and  
the  weakened character would then      
naturally fall back into barbarism1     
because the highest degree of sensual   
refinement violates all the  genuine    
feelings of the soul1 making the        
understanding the abject slave  of the  
imagination4 ,but1 when the advances of 

knowledge shall make  morality the real 
basis of social union1 and not it's     
shadow the mask of  selfishness1 men    
cannot again lose the ground so surely  
taken1 or forget  principles1 though    
they may accomplishments4    ,and that a
 civilization founded on reason and     
morality is1 in fact1  taking place in  
the world1 will appear clear to all     
those1 who have  considered the         
atrocious vices and gigantic crimes1    
that sullied the  polish of ancient     
manners4 ,what nobleman1 even in the    
states where they  have the power of    
life and death1 after giving an elegant 
entertainment1  would now attract the   
detestation of his company1 by ordering 
a domestic  to be thrown into a pond to 
fatten the fish4#ba--,what tyrant would 
dare1  at this time1 to poison his      
brother at his own table2 or stab his   
enemy's mother1 not to mention his own1 
without colouring over the deed8  and do
 not the exclamations against boxing    
matches1 in ,england1 also  prove1 that 

the amphitheatre would not now be       
tolerated1 much less  enjoyed8 ,if the  
punishment of death be not yet          
abolished1 tortures worse  than twenty  
deaths are exploded1 merely by the      
melioration of manners4 ,a  human being 
is not now forced to feed the lamp that 
consumes him2 or  allowed vainly to call
 for death1 whilst the flesh is pinched 
off his  quivering limbs4 ,are not1     
likewise1 many of the vices1 that       
formerly  braved the face of day1 now   
obliged to lurk1 like beasts of prey1 in
  concealment1 till night allows them to
 roam at large4 ,and the odium  which   
now forces several vices1 that then     
passed as merely the play of  the       
imagination1 to hide their heads1 may   
chase them out of society1  when justice
 is common to all1 and riches no longer 
stand in the place  of sense and virtue4
 ,granting then to the ancients that    
savage grandeur  of imagination1 which1 
clashing with humanity1 does not exclude
  tenderness of heart1 we should guard  

against paying that homage to           
sentiment1 only due to principles formed
 by reason4    ,their tragedies1 this is
 still but a cultivation of the passions
 and the  taste1 have been celebrated   
and imitated servilely2 yet1 touching   
the  heart1 they corrupted it2 for many 
of the fictions1 that produced the  most
 striking stage effect1 were absolutely 
immoral4 ,the sublime  terrour1 with    
which they fill the mind1 may amuse1    
nay1 delight2 but  whence comes the     
improvement8 ,besides1 uncultivated     
minds are the most  subject to feel     
astonishment1 which is often only       
another name for  sublime sensations4   
,what moral lesson1 for example1 can be 
drawn from  the story of ,oedipus1 the  
favourite subject of such a number of   
tragedies8--,the gods impel him on1 and1
 led imperiously by blind fate1  though 
perfectly innocent1 he is fearfully     
punished1 with all his  hapless race1   
for a crime in which his will had no    
part4    ,formerly kings and great men  

openly despised the justice they        
violated2  but1 at present1 when a      
degree of reason1 at least1 regulates   
governments1 men find it necessary to   
put a gloss of morality on their        
actions1 though it may not be their     
spring4 ,and even the jargon of crude   
sentiments1 now introduced into         
conversation1 shows to what side leans  
vanity1 the true thermometer of the     
times4--,an affectation of humanity is  
the affectation of the day2 and men     
almost always affect to possess the     
virtue1 or quality1 that is rising into 
estimation4    ,formerly a man was safe 
only in one civilized patch of the      
globe1 and  even there his life hung by 
a thread4 ,such were the sudden         
vicissitudes1  which1 keeping the       
apprehension on the stretch1 warmed the 
imagination1  that clouded the          
intellect4 ,at present a man may        
reasonably expect to be  allowed        
tranquilly to follow any scientific     
pursuit2 and when the  understanding is 

calmly employed1 the heart imperceptibly
 becomes  indulgent4 ,it is not the same
 with the cultivation of the arts4      
,artists  have commonly irritable       
tempers2 and1 inflaming their passions  
as they  warm their fancy1 they are1    
generally speaking1 licentious2         
acquiring  the manners their productions
 tend to spread abroad1 when taste1 only
  the refinement of weakened sensations1
 stifles manly ardour4    ,taste and    
refined manners1 however1 were swept    
away by hordes of  uncivilized          
adventurers2 and in ,europe1 where some 
of the seeds  remained1 the state of    
society slowly meliorating itself till  
the  seventeenth century1 nature seemed 
as much despised in the arts1 as  reason
 in the sciences4 ,the different        
professions were much more knavish  than
 at present1 under the veil of solemn   
stupidity4 ,every kind of  learning1 as 
in the savage state1 consisted chiefly  
in the art of  tricking the vulgar1 by  
impressing them with an opinion of      

powers1 that  did not exist in          
nature--,the priest was to save their   
souls without  morality2 the physician  
to heal their bodies without medicine2  
and  justice was to be administered by  
the immediate interposition of          
heaven3--all was to be done by a charm4 
,nothing1 in short1 was founded on      
philosophical principles2 and the       
amusements being barbarous1 the  manners
 became formal and ferocious4 ,the      
cultivation of the mind1  indeed1       
consisted rather in acquiring languages1
 and loading the memory  with facts1    
than in exercising the judgment2        
consequently1 reason  governed neither  
law1 nor legislation2 and literature was
 equally devoid  of taste4 ,the people  
were1 strictly speaking1 slaves2 bound  
by feudal  tenures1 and still more      
oppressive ecclesiastical restraints2   
the lord  of the domain leading them to 
slaughter1 like flocks of sheep2 and the
  ghostly father drawing the bread out  
of their mouths by the idlest           

impositions4 ,the croisades1 however1   
freed many of the vassals2 and the      
reformation1 forcing the clergy to take 
a new stand1 and become more  moral1 and
 even wiser1 produced a change of       
opinion1 that soon appeared  in         
humanizing the manners1 though not in   
improving the different  governments4   
,but whilst all ,europe was enslaved1   
suffering under the caprice or  tyranny 
of despots1 whose pride and restless    
ambition continually  disturbed the     
tranquillity of their neighbours2 the   
britons1 in a great  degree1 preserved  
the liberty that they first recovered4  
,this singular  felicity was not more   
owing to the insular situation of their 
country1  than to their spirited        
efforts2 and national prosperity was the
 reward  of their exertions4 ,whilst1   
therefore1 englishmen were the only free
  people in existence1 they appear to   
have been not only content1 but  charmed
 with their constitution2 though        
perpetually complaining of the  abuses  

of their government4 ,it was then very  
natural1 in such an  elevated situation1
 for them to contemplate with graceful  
pride their  comparative happiness2 and 
taking for granted1 that it was the     
model of  perfection1 they never seem to
 have formed an idea of a system more   
simple1 or better calculated to promote 
and maintain the freedom of  mankind4   
,that system1 so ingenious in theory1   
they thought the most perfect the  human
 mind was capable of conceiving2 and    
their contentions for it's  support     
contributed more to persuade them1 that 
they actually possessed  an extensive   
liberty1 and the best of all possible   
governments1 than to  secure the real   
possession4 ,however1 if it had no      
specific basis beside  magna charta1    
till the habeas corpus act passed2 or   
before the  revolution of #afhh1 but the
 temper of men2 it is a sufficient      
demonstration1 that it was a government 
resting on principles emanating  from   
the consent1 if not from the sense of   

the nation4    ,whilst liberty had been 
consumed by the lascivious pleasures of 
the  citizens of ,venice and            
,genoa2--corroded in ,switzerland by a  
mercenary  aristocracy2--entombed in the
 dykes of the covetous                  
,hollanders2--driven  out of ,sweden by 
an association of the nobles2--and      
hunted down in  ,corsica by the ambition
 of her neighbours2--,france was        
insensible to her  value2--,italy1      
,spain1 and ,portugal1 cowering under a 
contemptible  bigotry1 which sapped the 
remains of the rude liberty they had    
enjoyed1  formed no political           
plans2--and all ,germany was not only   
enslaved1 and  groaning beneath the     
weight of the most insulting civil      
tyranny1 but  it's shackles were riveted
 by a redoubtable military              
phalanx4--,despotism1  in fact1 had     
existed in that vast empire for a       
greater length of time  than in any     
other country2--whilst ,russia stretched
 out her arms with  mighty grasp1       

embracing ,europe and ,asia4 ,sullen as 
the amphibious bear  of the north2 and  
so chilled by her icy regions1 as to be 
insensible to  the charms of social     
life1 she threatened alternate          
destruction to every  state in her      
vicinity4 ,huge in her projects of      
ambition1 as her empire  is extensive1  
the despotism of her court seems as     
insatiable1 as the  manners of her boors
 are barbarous4--,arrived at that stage 
of  civilization1 when the grandeur and 
parade of a palace are mistaken for  the
 improvement of manners1 and the false  
glory of desolating provinces  for      
wisdom and magnanimity1 the tzarina     
would sooner have abandoned her         
favourite plan of imitating the conduct 
of ,peter the great1 in labouring  to   
civilize her kingdom1 than have allowed 
freedom to find a firm seat  in her     
dominions to assist her4 ,she has vainly
 endeavoured1 indeed1 to  make the sweet
 flowers of liberty grow under the      
poisonous shade of  despotism2 giving   

the russians a false taste for the      
luxuries of life  before the attainment 
of it's conveniences4 ,and this hasty   
attempt to  alter the manners of a      
people has produced the worst effect on 
their  morals3 mixing the barbarism of  
one state of society1 deprived of it's  
sincerity and simplicity1 with the      
voluptuousness of the other1 void of    
elegance and urbanity1 the two extremes 
have prematurely met4    ,thus pursued  
and mistaken1 liberty1 though still     
existing in the small  island of        
,england1 yet continually wounded by the
 arbitrary proceedings  of the british  
ministry1 began to flap her wings1 as if
 preparing for a  flight to more        
auspicious regions--,and the            
anglo-americans having carried  with    
them to their place of refuge the       
principles of their ancestors1  she     
appeared in the new world with renovated
 charms1 and sober matron  graces4      
,freedom is1 indeed1 the natural and    
imprescriptible right of man2  without  

the enjoyment of which1 it is impossible
 for him to become  either a reasonable 
or dignified being4 ,freedom he enjoys  
in a natural  state1 in it's full       
extent3 but formed by nature for a more 
intimate  society1 to unfold his        
intellectual powers1 it becomes         
necessary1 for  carrying into execution 
the main objects1 which induces men to  
establish  communities1 that they should
 surrender a part of their natural      
privileges1 more effectually to guard   
the most important4 ,but from the       
ignorance of men1 during the infancy of 
society1 it was easy for their  leaders1
 by frequent usurpations1 to create a   
despotism1 which choking  up the springs
 that would have invigorated their      
minds1 they seem to  have been          
insensible to the deprivations under    
which they lived2 and  existing like    
mere animals1 the tyrants of the world  
have continued to  treat them only as   
machines to promote their purposes4     
,in the progress of knowledge1 which    

however was very tardy in ,europe1      
because the men who studied were content
 to see nature through the  medium of   
books1 without making any actual        
experiments themselves1 the  benefits of
 civil liberty began to be better       
understood3 and in the same  proportion 
we find the chains of despotism becoming
 lighter4 ,still the  systematizing of  
pedants1 the ingenious fallacy of       
priests1 and the  supercilious meanness 
of the literary sycophants of courts1   
who were the  distinguished authors of  
the day1 continued to perplex and       
confound the  understandings of         
unlettered men4 ,and no sooner had the  
republics of  ,italy risen from the     
ashes of the roman jurisprudence1 than  
their  principles were attacked by the  
apostles of ,machiavel1 and the efforts 
made for the revival of freedom were    
undermined by the insidious tenets      
which he gave to his prince4    ,the    
arts1 it is true1 were now recovering   
themselves1 patronized by the  family of

 the ,medicis3 but the sciences1 that   
is1 whatever claimed the  appellation1  
had still to struggle with aristotelean 
prejudices2 till  ,descartes ventured to
 think for himself2 and ,newton1        
following his  example1 explained the   
laws of motion and gravity1 displaying  
the  mechanism of the universe with     
wonderful perspicacity2 for the analysis
  of ideas1 which has since diffused    
such light through every branch of      
knowledge1 was not before this period   
applied even to mathematics4 ,the       
extension of analytical truths1         
including political1 which at first were
  only viewed as splendid theories1 now 
began to pervade every part of  ,europe2
 stealing into the very seminaries of   
learning in ,germany1 where  formerly   
scholastic1 dry theology1 laborious     
compilations of the  wanderings of the  
human understanding1 and minute         
collations of the  works of the         
ancients1 had consumed the fervour of   
youth1 and wasted the  patience of age4 

,the college and the court are always   
connected3--and  literature beginning to
 attract the attention of several of the
 petty  sovereigns of the empire1 they  
were induced to patronize those daring  
men who were persecuted by the public   
for attacking religious or  political   
prejudices2 and allowing them an asylum 
at their courts1 they  acquired a relish
 for their conversation4 ,the amusements
 of the chace  then yielding to the     
pleasures of colloquial disquisition on 
subjects of  taste and morals1 the      
ferocity of northern despotism began    
imperceptible  to wear away1 and the    
condition of it's slaves to become more 
tolerable4    ,education1 in particular1
 has been studied2 and the rational     
modes of  instruction in useful         
knowledge1 which are taking place of the
 exclusive  attention formerly paid to  
the dead languages1 promise to render   
the  germans1 in the course of half a   
century1 the most enlightened people in 
,europe4 ,whilst their simplicity of    

manners1 and honesty of heart are in  a 
great degree preserved1 even as they    
grow more refined1 by the  situation of 
their country2 which prevents that      
inundation of riches by  commercial     
sources1 that destroys the morals of a  
nation before it's  reason arrives at   
maturity4    ,frederic the ,i,id of     
,prussia1 with the most ardent ambition1
 was  nevertheless as anxious to acquire
 celebrity as an author1 as he was  fame
 as a soldier4 ,by writing an           
examination of ,machiavel's ,prince1 and
  the encouragement he gave to literary 
talents and abilities1 he  contributed  
very much to promote the acquirement of 
knowledge in his  dominions2 whilst1 by 
granting his confidence to the          
philosophical  ,hertzberg1 the          
administration of his government grew   
considerably  milder4    ,his splendid  
reputation as a soldier continued to awe
 the restless  ambition of the princes  
of the neighbouring states1 which       
afforded an  opportunity to the         

inhabitants of the empire to follow1    
during the reign  of tranquillity1 those
 literary pursuits1 which became        
fashionable even  at the half civilized 
court of ,petersbourg4 ,it now1 indeed1 
appeared  certain1 that ,germany would  
gain in future important political      
advantages2 for men were beginning to   
presume to think1 and scanned the       
conduct of the supercilious ,joseph with
 freedom1 treating his vanity  with     
contempt4    ,it is by thus teaching men
 from their youth to think1 that they   
will be  enabled to recover their       
liberty2 and useful learning is already 
so far  advanced1 that nothing can stop 
it's progress3--,i say peremptorily     
nothing2 for this is not the era        
hesitatingly to add1 short of           
supernatural events4 ,and though the    
unjustifiable proceeding of the  english
 courts of justice1 or rather of the    
arbitrary chief judge  ,mansfield1 who  
established it as a law precedent1 that 
the greater the  truth the greater the  

libel1 tended materially to prevent the 
authors of  the american war from being 
attacked for those tyrannical steps1    
that  ultimately tended to stop the     
progress of knowledge and the           
dissemination of political truth2 yet   
the clamour which was raised  against   
that unpopular war is a proof1 that1 if 
justice slept1 liberty  of thought had  
not forsaken the island4    ,the        
overweening presumption1 however1 of men
 ignorant of true political  science2   
who beheld a nation prosperous beyond   
example1 whilst all the  neighbouring   
states were languishing1 and knew not   
how to account for  it2 foolishly       
endeavouring to preserve this           
prosperity1 by mad attempts  to throw   
impediments in the way of those very    
principles1 which had  raised ,great    
,britain to the elevated rank she has   
attained in ,europe1  served only to    
accelerate their diffusion4 ,and ,france
 being the first  among the nations on  
the continent1 that had arrived at a    

civilization  of manners1 which they    
have termed the only art of living1 we  
find was  the first to throw off the    
yoke of her old prejudices4    ,it was  
at this crisis of things1 that the      
despotism of ,france was  completely    
overturned1 and twenty-five millions of 
human beings unloosed  from the odious  
bands1 which had for centuries benumbed 
their faculties1  and made them crouch  
under the most ignominious              
servitude--,and it now  remains to      
observe the effect of this important    
revolution1 which may  fairly be dated  
from the taking of the ,bastille4       
,,an                                    
,,historical ,,and ,,moral ,,view       
,,of ,,the                              
,,french ,,revolution4                  
,,book ,,iii4                           
,,chapter ,i4   ,a ,,deputation ,,of    
,,the ,,national ,,assembly ,,arrives   
,,at ,,paris4 ,,baillie ,,chosen        
,,mayor1 ,,and ,,la ,,fayette           
,,commander ,,in ,,chief ,,of ,,the     

,,national ,,guards4    ,,resignation   
,,of ,,the ,,ministry4 ,,necker         
,,recalled4 ,,the ,,king ,,visits       
,,paris4      ,,character ,,of ,,the    
,,parisians4 ,,the ,,revolution ,,urged 
,,on ,,prematurely4   ,,emigrations ,,of
 ,,several ,,of ,,the ,,nobility ,,and  
,,others4 ,,calonne ,,advises ,,the     
,,french ,,princes ,,to ,,stir ,,up     
,,foreign ,,powers ,,against ,,france4  
,,foulon ,,killed4      ,the presence of
 the deputies had diffused throughout   
the capital the  most intoxicating      
joy--for where is joy expressed with    
such infantile  playfulness1 such entire
 forgetfulness of to-morrow1 as at      
,paris8 and  the citizens1 with their   
usual burst of gratitude1 which always  
resembles adoration1 made choice of     
,baillie1 the first acting president  of
 the national assembly1 for mayor1 and  
of ,la ,fayette for commander in  chief 
of the national guards3 the name now    
given to the  garde-bourgeoise1 and the 
other soldiers incorporated with them4  

,but  the rapture of the parisians1 as  
transient as lively1 dwindled1 as their 
spirits were exhausted1 into the murmurs
 of suspicion4--,the ministry1  said    
they1 who were chosen to depress us1 are
 not yet dismissed2 and the  troops1    
that were to have been their instruments
 of mischief1 still  hover round ,paris1
 and are even augmented by the arrival  
of two fresh  regiments at ,st4 ,denis4 
,a rumour was spread1 that a convoy of  
flour had  been intercepted by the order
 of the ministers1 in it's way to       
,paris2  and some disturbances at the   
,bastille had given colour to a report1 
that  they had attempted to make        
themselves once more masters of this    
important fortress4 ,the night of the   
#aeth was then another devoted to       
watchfulness and anxiety2 and in the    
morning a deputation was sent to  the   
national assembly1 praying them to      
demand the dismission of the  present   
ministry1 and the recall of ,necker4    
,the assembly took the subject into     

deliberation2 but still attentive to    
etiquette1 they debated about the       
decorum of interfering with the         
appointment of the executive power4     
,this roused the genius of ,mirabeau2   
and the bubbles of fear1 and the        
straw-like objections of timidity1 were 
carried away by the torrent of his      
eloquence4 ,the discussion grew warm2   
yet for the present occasion soon became
 of little importance1 because  the     
ministry1 finding that they could not   
stand the brunt of the storm1  resigned2
 ,necker also1 in whom the public had   
still the most implicit  confidence1 was
 invited to return2--and the king1      
appearing to be anxious  to give every  
proof of his desire to establish general
 tranquillity1  signified1 that he      
wished to visit ,paris4 ,a short time   
after they were  officially informed    
that the troops were promptly removing  
to more  distant quarters4 ,the national
 assembly accordingly sent some of their
  members to communicate to the         

parisians this welcome intelligence1 to 
prepare for the reception of the king by
 calming the fears of the  people4      
,and he1 adhering to his purpose1 left  
,versailles the next day 7the  #agth71  
though his family ridiculously          
endeavoured to dissuade him2            
insinuating1 that he ought not to trust 
his sacred person to the mercy  of an   
enraged multitude2 whilst rumours of    
projected assassinations were  repeated 
before him1 with exaggerated comments4  
,but1 being a man of  considerable      
animal courage1 and now almost          
perceiving1 that all the  evils with    
which he was struggling had been        
produced by his headstrong  advisers1 he
 seemed determined1 at least for the    
present1 not to be  governed by their   
dangerous councils4 ,and he had even the
 sagacity to  foresee1 that1 convulsed  
as the kingdom was1 they would occasion 
a civil  war1 and his life might then be
 still more exposed4 ,in this instance1 
as  we shall find in many others1 ,louis

 appears to have been directed by a     
kind of glimmering instinct of          
propriety2 for at the present juncture  
it  was particularly discreet1          
considering the little effect the       
pageantry  of the court had produced at 
the sance royale1 to meet the people    
without the parade of robes or guards4  
,and1 in fact1 the hundred  deputies who
 followed him1 were now the only retinue
 that would have  appeared respectable  
in the eyes of the people4 ,what too    
must have been  his surprise1 in spite  
of all he had heard1 to pass through an 
immense  avenue of armed parisians with 
such a new aspect4--,till now he had    
always  seen a timid multitude flying   
before the watch1 giving vent to their  
vengeance in vain songs1 and to their   
grief in feeble murmurs3--to-day he  saw
 them triumphant1 moving orderly along1 
calling out on every side1  during the  
procession1 for a constitution and laws6
 marching in unison  with their         
reflections1 they advanced1 but slowly2 

for1 almost afraid to  hope1 they       
proceeded with the measured step of     
thought1 or rather  sadness2 and the    
people1 whose mind was still agitated1  
as the swell of  the sea continues after
 the storm has subsided1 uttered not the
 shout of  gladness--vive le roi2--but  
the menacing memento--vive la nation4   
,this was as ominous a sound1 as the    
woe6 woe6 resounding through the  silent
 streets of a besieged city--for it was 
equally the voice of fate1  proclaiming 
the will of the people1 disgusted with  
courts1 and  suspicious even of the     
king4 ,louis seems to have been forcibly
 struck by  the energy every where      
displayed2 and not more by the eloquent 
discourses addressed to him at the      
htel-de-ville1 than by the  countenance 
of each citizen3 for the fire of liberty
 had already lighted  up in every face  
the serene lustre of manly              
firmness4--,so impressed1  indeed1 was  
his mind by the whole scene1 that1 when 
the animated  speakers were silent1 he  

exclaimed in reply--#8,my people6 my    
people1 may  always rely on my          
love4'--,and taking the national cockade
 from the hands  of the mayor1 he       
appeared at the window with his heart in
 his eyes1 as  if eager to convince the 
multitude of his sincerity3 and perhaps 
conscious1 that1 first submitting to    
necessity1 he now yielded to  feeling4  
,at these words1 the repetition of which
 flew like lightning  from rank to rank1
 the whole concourse of people caught   
the electrical  sympathy4--,vive le roi 
was shouted from every quarter2 and     
revived  affection glowed with the fresh
 fervour1 that effaces the remembrance  
of  doubts1 and makes the fear of having
 been unjust1 the most powerful  spring 
of tenderness4 ,and persuading          
themselves1 for the moment1 that  the   
disposition of the king was not so much 
at variance with their  happiness as his
 conduct1 they poured blessings on him1 
bestowing all  their execrations on his 
counsellors4    ,pleasure1 now almost   

mounting to a feverish height1 set all  
,paris  quickly in motion2 and the sound
 of the thundering artillery was the    
swift harbinger of the tidings of       
reconciliation to ,versailles1 where    
the royal family must have been         
anxiously alive to the events of the    
day4    ,these sudden transitions from  
one extreme to another1 without leaving 
any settled conviction behind1 to       
confirm or eradicate the corroding      
distrust1 could not be seen in such a   
strong light any where as at  ,paris1   
because there a variety of causes have  
so effeminated reason1  that the french 
may be considered as a nation of women2 
and made feeble1  probably1 by the same 
combination of circumstances1 as has    
rendered  these insignificant4 ,more    
ingenious than profound in their        
researches2  more tender than           
impassioned in their affections2 prompt 
to act1 yet  soon weary2 they seem to   
work only to escape from work1 and to   
reflect  merely how they shall avoid    

reflection4 ,indolently restless1 they  
make  the elegant furniture of their    
rooms1 like their houses1 voluptuously  
handy4 ,every thing1 in short1 shows the
 dexterity of the people1 and  their    
attention to present enjoyment4    ,and 
so passive appears to be their          
imagination1 it requires to be roused   
by novelty2 and then1 more lively than  
strong1 the evanescent emotions         
scarcely leave any traces behind them4  
,from being devoted to pleasure in      
their youth1 old age is commonly passed 
in such merely animal  gratifications1  
that a respectable looking aged man or  
woman is very  rarely to be seen4       
,independent1 likewise1 of the vanity   
which makes them  wish to appear polite1
 at the very moment they are ridiculing 
a person1  their great susceptibility of
 disposition leads them to take an      
interest  in all the sensations of      
others1 which are forgotten almost as   
soon as  felt4 ,and these transient     
gusts of feeling prevent their forming  

those  firm resolves of reason1 that1   
bracing the nerves1 when the heart is   
moved1 make sympathy yield to           
principles1 and the mind triumph over   
the  senses4    ,besides1 the climate of
 ,france is so genial1 and the blood    
mounted so  cheerily in the veins1 even 
of the oppressed common people1 that1   
living  for the day1 they continually   
basked in the sunshine1 which broke from
  behind the heavy clouds that hung over
 them4    ,it is impossible1 after      
tracing the horrid conspiracy formed by 
the  court against the lives and liberty
 of the people1 not to feel the most    
ineffable contempt for that kind of     
government1 which leaves the  happiness 
of a nation at the mercy of a capricious
 minister of state4  ,the awful and     
interesting lesson1 which the           
developement of this  treachery         
afforded1 was such as ought to have made
 an indelible  impression on their      
minds4--,it was a lesson1 the very      
thought of which  stops for a moment the

 genial current of the heart4--,it was a
 lesson1  that should be repeated to    
mankind1 to bring home to their very    
senses a  conviction of the lengths to  
which a depraved and absolute government
  will go1 for the sake of holding fast 
it's power4--,it was1 in short1 a       
deduction of experience1 which will     
teach posterity that life1 and every    
thing dear to man1 can be secured only  
by the preservation of liberty4    ,the 
want of decision in the character of    
,louis seems to have been the           
foundation of all his faults1 as well as
 of all his misfortunes2 and  every     
moment fresh occasions to make the      
observation arise as we trace  his      
misconduct1 or compassionate his        
situation4    ,to give a striking       
instance1 it is only necessary to turn  
our attention  to the fatal effects that
 flowed from his consenting to assemble 
an army  of foreigners1 to intimidate   
the states-general4 ,he could not resist
 the  court1 who counselled this        

measure2 or silence the misgivings of   
his  heart1 which made him averse to the
 troops taking any decisive step1  that 
might lead to slaughter4 ,and still     
governed by these undisciplined         
feelings1 when he dismissed the army1 he
 pursued the advice of the very  cabal1 
that had led him into this errour2      
giving way to the wishes of  the people1
 yet dissembling with them even in the  
act of reconciliation4  ,thus1 for ever 
wavering1 it is difficult to mark any   
fixt purpose in his  actions2 excepting 
that which does him honour--the desire  
to prevent the  shedding of blood4 ,this
 principle has1 in general1 directed his
 conduct2  though the short-sighted     
measures of timid humanity1 devoid of   
strength  of mind1 turned all his       
efforts to a very contrary effect4      
,from the presence of these troops1 and 
their abortive attempt to crush  liberty
 in the egg1 the shell was prematurely  
broken1 and the enthusiasm  of frenchmen
 excited before their judgment was in   

any considerable  degree formed4        
,intoxicated by conquest1 each began to 
descant on the  existing abuses1 to show
 his own cleverness in pointing out the 
remedy2  and arms being once in the     
hands of the people1 it was difficult to
  persuade them to give them up for the 
occupations of peace4 ,it is true1  had 
the national assembly been allowed      
quietly to have made some  reforms1     
paving the way for more1 the ,bastille1 
though tottering on it's  dungeons1     
might yet have stood erect4--,and1 if it
 had1 the sum of human  misery could    
scarcely have been increased4 ,for the  
guillotine not  finding it's way to the 
splendid square it has polluted1 streams
 of  innocent blood would not have      
flowed1 to obliterate the remembrance of
  false imprisonment1 and drown the     
groans of solitary grief in the loud    
cry of agony--when1 the thread of life  
quickly cut in twain1 the  quivering    
light of hope is instantly dashed       
out--and the billows suddenly  closing1 

the silence of death is felt6--,this    
tale is soon told4--,we hear  not of    
years languished away in misery1 whilst 
dissolution by inches  palsies the      
frame1 or disturbs the reason3 yet1 who 
can estimate the sum  of comfort        
blasted2 or tell how many survivors pine
 the prey of an  imagination distracted 
by sorrow8    ,the character of the     
french1 indeed1 had been so depraved by 
the  inveterate despotism of ages1 that 
even amidst the heroism which           
distinguished the taking of the         
,bastille1 we are forced to see that    
suspicious temper1 and that vain        
ambition of dazzling1 which have        
generated all the succeeding follies and
 crimes4 ,for1 even in the most         
public-spirited actions1 celebrity seems
 to have been the spur1 and the  glory1 
rather than the happiness of frenchmen1 
the end4--,this observation  inforces   
the grand truth on mankind1 that without
 morality there can be  no great        
strength of understanding1 or real      

dignity of conduct4 ,the  morals of the 
whole nation were destroyed by the      
manners formed by the                   
government4--,pleasure had been pursued1
 to fill up the void of rational        
employment2 and fraud combined with     
servility to debase the  character2--so 
that1 when they changed their system1   
liberty1 as it was  called1 was only the
 acme of tyranny--merely with this      
difference1 that1  all the force of     
nature being roused1 the magnitude of   
the evil  promised1 by some mighty      
concussion1 to effect it's own cure4    
,the reunion of the king and people not 
only routed1 but terrified1 the  cabal2 
and as cowardly in adversity1 as        
presumptuous in prosperity1 they        
immediately took to flight different    
ways1 and even disguised4 ,one man1  who
 had long been obnoxious to the people  
on account of inordinate  covetousness1 
and1 vulgar tyranny1 not softened by the
 graceful  condescension of the         
nobility1 caused it to be reported1 that

 he was  dead4 ,the renowned mareschal  
,broglio sought an asylum at            
,luxemburgh1  whilst madame ,polignac   
fled to ,basle4 ,thus went into exile an
 amiable  woman1 who had been the       
instrument of the ambition of a family1 
that  rapaciously availed themselves of 
her great favour with the queen1 whose  
strange predilection for handsome women 
blighted the reputation of every  one1  
whom she distinguished4    ,the count   
d',artois1 with several others of the   
blood royal and principal  nobility1    
likewise thought it prudent to leave the
 kingdom for the  present2 either to    
provide for their safety1 or to seek    
vengeance4 ,at  ,brussels they met the  
unquiet ,calonne1 who1 having heard of  
the  dismission of ,necker1 was lured   
back by the first glimpse of hope4 ,for 
wishing to wipe away the indignity1     
which he had so impatiently brooked2    
and fondly believing1 that the army had 
had sufficient time to quash the  verbal
 disputes of the nation2 he was         

hastening towards ,france1 to be  ready 
to come in for his share of the triumph4
    ,to his country this meeting has    
proved a source of evil1 that could only
  have been hatched in such an          
unprincipled brain1 fertile in plans of 
mischief1 and prone to puzzle the cause 
which he wanted force to  subvert4 ,his 
last effort for power had been to obtain
 a seat in the  states-general4 ,and1   
had not the remembrance of his former   
administration stood in his way1 it is  
probable he would have succeeded1  and  
there have become a flaming patriot1    
could he have been the leader  of a     
party2 for he possessed the showy       
talents necessary to procure            
instantaneous applause in a popular     
assembly--a deceiving1 rather than a    
commanding eloquence4 ,mirabeau1 on the 
contrary1 seems to have had from  nature
 a strong perception of a dignified     
propriety of conduct2 and  truth        
appearing to give earnestness to his    
arguments1 his hearers were  compelled  

to agree with him out of respect to     
themselves4 ,leaving then  plausibility 
far behind1 he always stood forth as the
 sturdy champion of  reason2 even when1 
laying down his club1 he loitered to    
dally with the  imagination4 ,whilst    
therefore ,mirabeau was teaching the    
national  assembly dignity#bb1 the      
resentment of the vain-glorious         
,calonne1  sharpened to the keenest edge
 by disappointment1 made him suggest to 
those crest-fallen princes1 the         
necessity of engaging foreign aid1 to   
reinstate the king in his former        
plenitude of power1 and to heal their   
wounded pride4 ,unfortunately1 the      
plausibility of his manners1 and the    
ingenuity of his arguments1 awakened    
their fears1 and nourished their        
prejudices2 and quickly persuaded to    
assert what they wished to believe1     
they protested against the conduct of   
the national assembly2  insinuating1    
that the body of the people did not     
support their  pretensions4 ,the        

delusion1 however1 did not rest here2   
for he even  convinced them1 that1 if   
the appeal made to the national honour  
of the  french did not recall crowds to 
their chivalrous allegiance1 it would   
not be a difficult task to engage all   
the powers of ,europe in behalf of  his 
most christian majesty1 by showing them1
 that1 if freedom were once  established
 in ,france1 it would soon extend beyond
 it's confines1  bounding over the ,alps
 and ,pyrenees4    ,such are the        
opposite sentiments1 or rather conduct  
of court parasites1  and men struggling 
to be free1 that it is sufficient to    
contrast them4  ,the deputies1 whose    
lives had been threatened1 and their    
persons grossly  insulted1 not only     
excused the ill advised monarch for the 
countenance  which he had given to the  
violation of the most sacred principles2
 but  expressed a conciliatory          
disposition to all parties4 ,the mob1 it
 is  true1 in the heat of rage1         
inhumanly butchered two of the vile     

instruments of despotism4 ,but this     
violence offered to justice ought not   
to be attributed to the temper of the   
people1 much less to the  connivance of 
the national assembly1 who acted with a 
degree of  magnanimity1 at this time1 of
 which it can never be enough lamented  
that  they have since lost sight4 ,the  
behaviour however of the hardened       
children of oppression in all countries 
is the same2 whether in the             
amphitheatre at ,rome1 or around the    
lantern-post in ,paris4    ,the king's  
eldest brother alone remained with the  
court1 a man with more  resources of    
understanding in himself1 than the rest 
of his family2 yet1  making it a point  
of honour to be treated like his younger
 brother the  count d',artois1 he       
contributed by his rapacity to drain the
 royal  treasure1 though such an        
expensive variety of amusements was not 
necessary to give a zest to his         
pleasures4    ,the noble depredators had
 now escaped2 yet ,foulon1 the minister1

 the  most desperate and pusillanimous  
of the gang1 was taken1 in spite of his 
mock funeral4--,i purposely use the word
 gang2 for a squeamish delicacy  with   
respect to terms makes us sometimes     
confound characters to such a  degree1  
that the great villain is not           
stigmatized with the epithet  associated
 with the idea of a gallows2 because1 by
 the grossest  subversion of reason1 the
 aggravation of guilt has so palliated  
the  punishments1 that the head1 which  
would have disgraced a halter1 has  been
 respectfully severed on a block4       
,once seized1 no authority could prevent
 the murder of this miserable  wretch2  
and the same evening the intendant of   
,paris1 his son-in-law1 met  a death    
still more shocking1 being prolonged by 
the humane interposition  of the        
respectable mayor1 and ,la ,fayette1 in 
his favour4    ,strange1 that a people1 
who often leave the theatre before the  
catastrophe1 should have bred up such   
monsters6 ,still we ought to  recollect1

 that the sex1 called the tender1 commit
 the most flagrant  acts of barbarity   
when irritated4--,so weak is the        
tenderness produced  merely by sympathy1
 or polished manners1 compared with the 
humanity of a  cultivated understanding4
 ,alas6--,it is morals1 not feelings1   
which  distinguish men from the beasts  
of prey6 ,these were transactions1 over 
which1 for the honour of human nature1  
it were to be wished oblivion  could    
draw the winding-sheet1 that has often  
enwrapped a heart1 whose  benevolence   
has been felt1 but not known4 ,but1 if  
it be impossible to  erase from the     
memory these foul deeds1 which1 like the
 stains of  deepest dye revived by      
remorse in the conscience1 can never be 
rubbed  out--why dwell circumstantially 
on the excesses that revolt humanity1   
and  dim the lustre of the picture1 on  
which the eye has gazed with rapture1   
often obliged to look up to heaven to   
forget the misery endured on  earth8    
,since1 however1 we cannot #8out the    

damned spot1' it becomes  necessary to  
observe1 that1 whilst despotism and     
superstition exist1 the  convulsions1   
which the regeneration of man occasions1
 will always bring  forward the vices   
they have engendered1 to devour their   
parents4    ,servility1 destroying the  
natural energy of man1 stifles the      
noblest  sentiments of the soul4--,thus 
debased1 heroic actions are merely      
directed  by the head1 and the heart    
drops not into them it's balm1 more     
precious  than the trees of ,arabia ever
 distilled6 ,ought we then to wonder1   
that  this dry substitute for humanity  
is often burnt up by the scorching      
flame of revenge8 ,this has now actually
 been the case2 for there has  been seen
 amongst the french a spurious race of  
men1 a set of cannibals1  who have      
gloried in their crimes2 and tearing out
 the hearts that did  not feel for them1
 have proved1 that they themselves had  
iron bowels4  #8,but1 if the anger of   
the people be terrible1' exclaims       

,mirabeau1 #8it is  the sang froid of   
despotism1 that is atrocious2 those     
systematic  cruelties1 which have made  
more wretches in a day than the popular 
insurrections have immolated in a course
 of years6#bc ,we often fear1'  adds he1
 #8the people1 because we have injured  
them2 and thus are forced  to fetter    
those we oppress4'    ,the example of   
the capital was followed by the         
provinces2 and all the  citizens flew to
 arms1 whilst the soldiers grounded     
their's1 swearing  not to stain their   
hands with the blood of their fellow    
citizens4 ,added  to the account of the 
conspiracy to dissolve the              
states-general1 and  massacre their     
representatives1 a number of idle       
rumours of present  danger tended to    
make the country people not only eager  
to guard against  they scarcely knew    
what1 but also desirous to enter into   
the adventures1  and share the honours  
of the parisians4    ,in all civil wars1
 personal vengeance mixing with public1 

or taking  advantage of it1 has directed
 the dagger of the assassin3 and in     
,france  it ought particularly to have  
been dreaded2 because1 when fear induces
 a  man to smother his just resentment1 
the festering wound is only to be  cured
 by revenge4 ,it is then highly         
probable1 that most of the  barbarities 
in the towns were the effervescence of  
private anger1 or the  sport of         
depraved1 uncultivated minds1 who found 
the same pleasure in  tormenting men1 as
 mischievous boys in dismembering       
insects2 for public  indignation1       
directed against aristocratical tyranny1
 was elsewhere1 in  general1 displayed  
only in burning the country castles1 and
 the archives  of nobility4 ,but1 in the
 country1 indeed1 men rarely commit such
 crimes1  as lift up their reptile heads
 in the capital1 where the rank         
atmosphere  affords the noxious         
particles necessary to give virulence to
 the poison4  ,the vices of villagers   
are1 in fact1 rather the rich exuberance

 of the  passions1 than the vile dregs  
of exhausted nature4                    
,,chapter ,,ii4   ,,the ,,duke ,,of     
,,liancourt ,,chosen ,,president4 ,,the 
,,people ,,arm ,,for ,,the ,,defence    
,,of ,,the ,,country4 ,,the ,,municipal 
,,officers ,,appointed ,,under ,,the    
,,old  ,,government ,,superseded ,,by   
,,committees4 ,,some ,,people           
,,treacherously ,,destroyed  ,,by       
,,springing ,a ,,mine ,,at ,a ,,civic   
,,feast4 ,,the ,,genevese ,,resident    
,,taken ,,up ,,by    ,,the ,,patrol4    
,,the ,,french ,,suspicious ,,of ,,the  
,,designs ,,of ,,britain4 ,,necker      
,,returns4 ,,general ,,amnesty          
,,resolved ,,by ,,the ,,electors ,,of   
,,paris4 ,,debate ,,on ,a               
,,declaration ,,of ,,rights4            
,,declaration ,,of ,,rights ,,separate  
,,from ,,the   ,,constitution           
,,determined ,,on4 ,,sacrifices ,,made  
,,by ,,the ,,nobles1 ,,clergy1 ,c4      
,the duke of ,liancourt1 whose warning  
voice had made the king look around     

him1 when danger was at his heels1 was  
now chosen president4 ,at this  moment  
the obstacles1 which at first clogged   
the exertions of the  assembly1 seemed  
to have been overcome3 still fresh ones 
starting up  threw a damp on their      
exultation2 and the apprehensions of a  
famine1  real or factitious1 were not   
the least alarming1 though the most     
frequent4    ,new conspiracies were     
already formed on the borders of        
,france1 by the  princes1 and those who 
had subsisted by the corruptions of the 
old  system4 ,but this only proved a    
stimulus2 because the nation1 being     
determined to secure the rights it had  
so suddenly regained1 raised new        
regiments in every part of the country1 
and was soon in a situation to  repel   
any attack1 which it was possible for   
all ,germany to have made2  the only    
quarter from which the fugitive princes1
 at that period1 could  expect          
assistance4 ,so rapid was the spirit1 so
 general the momentum1  that in the     

course of a week upwards of three       
millions of men in arms  were formed    
into companies by a common interest     
resembling an electrical  sympathy4     
,such was the quick succession of       
events--,such the unanimous  sense of   
the nation2 and such the formidable     
force which instantly  opposed itself to
 the impotent threats of departing      
despotism4 ,history  will record this   
memorable era1 when the disciplined     
forces of the most  puissant tyranny    
vanished before the force of truth1     
though still but  half unveiled2        
obliging the haughty sycophants to      
search for shelter in  the recesses of a
 forest1 whither they stole under cover 
of the night  from the presence of an   
injured people4    ,the conduct of the  
garde-bourgeoise1 during the progress of
 the  revolution1 without varnishing    
over the excesses produced by           
ebullitions  of zeal1 is of itself      
sufficient to prove1 that a national    
militia  should every where take place  

of standing armies1 did not experience  
invariably attest1 that the laws were   
never respected by men1 whose  business 
is war1 unless they are reduced to mere 
machines by despotism4    ,the old      
municipal officers1 mostly suspected1   
because nominated by the  friends of the
 court1 were now obliged to give place  
to committees  elected by the common    
voice4 ,these taking the administration 
of public  business into their hands1 a 
new order of things began every where to
  prevail4 ,still1 however1 the         
disturbed imagination of the people was 
filled with plots1 to which some        
mysterious and fatal incidents gave     
life4    ,the municipality of ,soissons 
informed the national assembly1 that    
troops  of banditti had cut down the    
corn before it was ripe1 and obliged the
  villagers to take refuge in the towns4
 ,but on further inquiry1 it  appeared1 
that this report arose from a simple    
quarrel of the peasants  amongst        
themselves1 which had alarmed some      

labourers1 who flew to the  neighbouring
 town1 imagining that they had thousands
 of banditti at  their heels4    ,paris 
was also disturbed by an idle rumour of 
a riot at ,st4 ,denis2 so  seriously    
affirmed by those1 who declared that    
they had been  eye-witnesses of the     
violence1 that troops and cannon were   
sent1 but  they could find no traces of 
the disturbance4    ,another1 more      
serious1 had exasperated the people     
against the nobility1  and roused the   
indignation of the national assembly4 ,a
 nobleman and  counsellor of the        
parliament gave a civic feast in his    
castle to the  inhabitants of his       
village2 from which1 on some pretext1 he
 was absent4  ,all was joy and          
festivity2 but in the midst of the dance
 of gladness1  the sudden explosion of a
 mine spread around affright and        
death4--,hearing  of this treachery1 the
 people1 catching up their rustic       
weapons1  firebrands1 hastened to the   
neighbouring castles2 some of which they

  burnt1 others they demolished by      
pulling them down4    ,the recital of   
this atrocity produced a great effect in
 the national  assembly2 and1 says      
,mirabeau1 #8though great assemblies are
 often much  too susceptible of         
theatrical emotions2 and this narration 
was  accompanied with circumstances1 of 
which the invention is seldom  presumed2
 and though it was also attested by a   
public officer2 yet the  atrocity of the
 crime gave it an air of improbability4'
 ,this wanton act  of barbarity1 which  
the historian also would fain believe a 
monstrous  chimera of heated brains1    
was1 nevertheless1 as well              
substantiated1 as  such a fact could be2
 which nothing1 but the confession of   
the guilty  party1 can render absolutely
 certain1 because it seems equally      
foolish  and barbarous4    ,these       
disorders1 warmly represented by        
,lally-,tolendal1 determined the        
assembly1 on the #bc;d of july1 to      
publish a proclamation1 inviting all    

good citizens to the maintenance of     
order2 and declaring1 that to try  and  
punish for all crimes of leze-nation was
 the sole prerogative of  the national  
assembly1 till1 by the constitution     
which it was about to  establish1 a     
regular tribunal should be instituted1  
for the trial of  such offences4 ,after 
endeavouring to excuse the violence1 or1
 more  properly speaking1 to account for
 it1 ,mirabeau observed to the assembly1
  #8that they ought to be thoroughly    
convinced1 that the continuation of     
this formidable dictator would expose   
liberty to as much risk as the          
stratagems of her enemies4 ,society1' he
 continues1 #8would soon be  dissolved1 
if the multitude1 accustomed to blood   
and disorder1 placed  themselves above  
the magistrates1 and braved the         
authority of the law4  ,instead of      
running to meet freedom1 the people     
would soon throw  themselves into the   
abyss of servitude2 for danger too often
 rallies men  round the standard of     

absolute power2 and in the bosom of     
anarchy1 a  despot even appears a       
saviour4 ,for ,carthage is not yet      
destroyed2 there  remains a mass of     
instruments to impede our operations1   
and to excite  divisions in an assembly1
 that has only been united by danger4'  
,some trifling incidents1 swelled into  
importance by supposition1 kept  alive  
the inventive mistrust of the nation1 to
 which some innocent  victims were      
sacrificed1 without allaying it's       
brooding propensity to  produce1 like   
jealousy1 the evil it feared4           
,suspecting every body1 and a  little   
vain of authority1 the patroles of      
parisian citizens sometimes  officiously
 arrested whomever they thought fit1    
without assigning a  sufficient cause2  
and among the rest1 they stopped the    
resident in  ,france from ,geneva4      
,three letters were found on him2 and   
one of them  being addressed to the     
count d',artois1 rendered suspicious the
  circumstance of his tearing a fourth4 

,the letters were sent by the mayor of  
,paris to the assembly2 and the  facts  
laid before them afforded ,mirabeau an  
opportunity1 to display his  eloquence  
on a subject1 that recalled to his mind 
abuses1 which had  formerly touched     
himself--the violation of private       
correspondence4--,though  this did not  
appear to be exactly the present        
question2 for they were  not intercepted
 letters1 but letters to which chance   
had annexed some  suspicious characters1
 to point them out for inspection4 ,the 
despotism  of opening indiscriminately  
all letters1 to enable the government to
  judge of the character and sentiments 
of each individual1 is too obvious  to  
need animadversion4--,and who1 indeed1  
will not exclaim against the  tyranny1  
be it even parental1 that dares to steal
 into the secrets of  the heart2 or the 
impertinent curiosity1 that seeks for   
information only  to diversify an idle  
life8 ,the latter may be termed petty   
larceny2 yet  often the peace of whole  

families is invaded by these cowardly   
thefts1  and quarrels are rendered      
irreconcilable1 by giving air to angry  
expressions1 the utterance solely of the
 passion of the moment4 ,the  allowing  
letters1 also1 surreptitiously obtained1
 to appear as evidence1  in courts of   
justice1 is a gross violation of the    
first principle of  law2 because no     
letters can lawfully be opened1 but as  
other suspected  things are sought      
for--after information given to a       
magistrate4 ,but1 when  seals are broken
 at the discretion of an individual1 and
 brought forward  to criminate a person1
 it is to the full as unjust1 as to make
 a man  plead against himself4--,and for
 justice to be awarded in consequence of
  an act of injustice1 is an abuse that 
demands investigation4 ,but the  present
 was not a case in point4 ,it was not a 
clandestine ransacking of  all letters1 
to search for the clue of some suspected
 plot2 or like the  reading of the      
correspondence of a babbling            

conspirator1 after the  danger was over1
 whose letters might contain a list of  
timid  accomplices1 who would be driven 
to desperation by publicity4 ,however1  
the decided turn was given to the       
question by the bishop of ,langres      
observing1 that all ages had applauded  
the generosity of ,pompey1 who          
committed to the flames the letters1    
which the senators had addressed to     
,sertorius4 ,the mania of imitating the 
romans on this began to appear1         
producing one of those instances of     
false magnanimity1 that always arise    
from imitation3 yet so trifling1 indeed1
 in it's present consequence1  that it  
would scarcely deserve to be ridiculed1 
much less censured1 had  not the same   
affectation afterwards brought forth    
more serious and even  fatal follies4   
,the temper also of the parisians1 who  
mix in the world very early in  life1   
leads them to imagine1 that they have   
acquired the profound  knowledge of the 
springs of human passions1 which enables

 a sagacious  man almost to foresee     
future events1 only because they have   
often  detected the weaknesses of the   
human heart4 ,this made them now        
suppose1  that the court of ,great      
,britain was about to profit by their   
intestine  troubles4 ,the phraseology   
had long been in both countries1 that   
they  were the natural enemies of each  
other2 and the mistrustful french       
quickly imagined1 that the english meant
 immediately to take vengeance  for     
their interference in favour of the     
americans1 by seizing some of  their    
,west-,india islands4 ,the duke of      
,dorset1 in his justification of        
,england1 only changed the object of    
mistrust1 by giving rise to some  vague 
conjectures respecting a conspiracy for 
delivering ,brest into the  hands of the
 english2 and1 as there was no clue to  
lead to the discovery  of the traitors1 
several nobles of ,brittany1 probably   
innocent1 were  arrested4    ,these     
were1 nevertheless1 but slight          

impediments2 for the invigorating  voice
 of the awakened nation gave energy to  
the assembly1 who now named  committees 
to expedite the present business1       
preparatory to their grand  talk of     
framing a constitution4 ,the authority  
and respectability of the  assembly     
being acknowledged1 they attentively    
considered the state of  the kingdom2   
and1 mindful of the present distress of 
the people1 issued  orders for the free 
circulation of provision1 which had been
 obstructed  by the ancient forms1 so   
opposite to the true principles of      
political  economy4    ,at this         
juncture1 ,necker1 still esteemed by the
 nation1 unfortunately  returned4       
,intoxicated by popularity1 this        
minister had not sufficient  prudence to
 decline the honours1 which he could not
 support by that  dignity of conduct the
 present crisis required4 ,in his way to
 ,paris1  having heard1 that the life of
 the baron de ,benzenval1 commandant of 
the  swiss guards1 who had been with    

,broglio1 was in danger1 he humanely    
interposed to stop the hand of violence2
 and so far he deserves praise4  ,but   
when1 arrived at ,paris1 he was         
received1 by the lively inhabitants1  as
 the tutelar genius of ,france1 this    
apotheosis had it's usual effect2  and  
assuming the demi-god1 at the           
,htel-de-,ville1 he was not content  to 
preserve this victim from the public    
fury1 without recommending a  general   
amnesty2 a measure which was as         
inconsiderately adopted1 as  proposed4  
,for the electors pretending to issue   
laws for the whole  nation1 gave great  
umbrage to the parisians1 who had winked
 at the  stretch of their power1 which  
the pressing exigency of circumstances  
required1 during the moment danger      
menaced the capital4 ,the wild current  
thus turned1 the men1 who in the morning
 had declared1 #8that liberty was  safe1
 since ,necker was allowed to watch over
 her1' now accused him of  ambition1 and
 a desire to keep well with the court1  

by facilitating the  return1 or escape1 
of it's minions4 ,such in fact was the  
inconstancy of  a people1 always running
 after theatrical scenes1 that the      
tocsin was  rung to denounce ,necker as 
a courtier in one quarter of the city1  
at the  very time the ,palais ,royal was
 illuminated to celebrate his return as 
a patriot4    ,the business1 however1   
being referred to the national assembly1
 with a  modifying explanation1 they    
decided it mildly1 paying the respect   
due to  the good intentions from which  
it proceeded1 though they did not       
pretend  to sanction the hasty resolve  
of the electors4    ,after this tumult  
had subsided the narrow capacity of the 
minister did  not allow him to take a   
determined part in the grand work1 in   
which the  deputies were engaged4 ,his  
mind had not sufficient strength to     
burst the  shackles of it's old         
opinions2 and1 acting with his usual    
commercial  calculations1 he seems to   
have been one cause of the divisions1   

which  began to agitate an assembly1    
united rather by circumstances than by  
sentiments4 ,besides1 the sudden        
emancipation of the people occasioned a 
delirium of joy1 which required to be   
managed with the greatest  delicacy4 ,a 
vigorous ministry was certainly         
necessary to check the  licentious      
spirit manifesting itself continually by
 acts of violence1 in  so many parts of 
the kingdom1 where tumults and          
assassinations were the  effects of the 
giddiness of unexpected success4 ,whilst
 complaining of  the old government1    
every man in his sphere seemed to be    
eager to try  how he himself could      
govern1 and make up for the time he had 
delegated  his authority4 ,besides1 the 
procrastination of the relief looked for
 as  the immediate consequence of the   
,revolution1 however unavoidable1 made  
the people not only murmur1 but1        
disregarding all reason1 attempt to     
gain more by force than could1 for a    
long time1 be granted by  justice--even 

had justice been unbiased by            
self-interest4    ,the nation called for
 a constitution2 and the assembly       
debated about the  declaration of rights
 inherent to man1 and those he gives up 
when he  becomes a citizen1 on which    
they designed to rest it1 as an         
explanatory  support4    ,several       
members argued1 that the declaration    
ought to conclude1 and not  precede the 
constitution2 insisting1 that it was    
dangerous to awaken a  somnambulist on  
the brink of a precipice2 or to take a  
man to the top  of a mountain1 to show  
him a vast country that belonged to him1
 but of  which he could not immediately 
claim the possession4 #8,it is a veil1' 
said they1 #8that it would be imprudent 
to raise suddenly4--,it is a  secret1   
that it is necessary to conceal1 till   
the effect of a good  constitution puts 
them into a situation to hear it with   
safety#bd4'    ,but ,barnave terminated 
the sitting1 though the question was    
still in  debate1 by observing1 #8that  

the declaration of rights was in two    
respects practically useful2--first1 as 
it fixed the spirit of the  legislation1
 in order that it might not vary in     
future2--and1 secondly1  as it would    
direct the representatives of the nation
 in the formation of  laws1 in all the  
details of legislation1 the completion  
of which could  only be the work of     
time4 ,as to the apprehension expressed 
of the people  abusing these rights1    
when they acquire a knowledge of them1  
it is1'  said he1 #8futile1--and we need
 only turn over the page of history1 to 
lose these vain fears2 for we shall     
constantly find the people tranquil  in 
the same proportion as they are         
enlightened4'    ,poizing thus the      
pillars of equal liberty1 the discussion
 was the next  day interrupted by the   
report made by the committee appointed  
for the  purpose of digesting the       
information sent to the assembly1 of the
  melancholy intelligence which they    
daily received from the                 

provinces4--#8,the taxes1 the rents were
 no longer paid1 the revenue was        
exhausted1 the laws were without force2 
and the social ties almost  broken4' ,to
 remedy so many evils1 the committee    
proposed to the assembly  to publish1 as
 soon as possible1 a solemn declaration 
to testify their  deep sense of the     
misery of the provinces1 and their      
disapprobation of  the non-payment of   
taxes and rents2 and to declare1 that1  
till the  assembly had time to consider 
the decrees necessary to be passed to   
regulate these objects1 there did not   
exist any cause to justify similar      
refusals4 ,this proposition occasioned a
 warm debate4    ,some of the deputies  
represented1 that the feudal laws were  
too  iniquitous1--the taxes too         
unequally assessed--the wretchedness too
  general1 to hope for any happy effect 
from such a declaration--it would  soon 
fall into oblivion1 as had done the     
proclamation for peace3--it  would      
aggravate the misery of the state1 by   

manifesting the impotence of  the       
national assembly3--it would irritate   
even the people1 who had need  of       
comfort2 and of whom they could not1    
without a kind of derision1 in  their   
present circumstances1 require the      
payment of taxes1 of which they  knew   
well that each of them felt the         
injustice4    ,others did not fail to   
insist on the danger of letting the     
disorder  increase2 on the sacredness of
 property2 and on the immense deficit   
with which the nation was menaced2      
adding1 that the national assembly      
would become contemptible1 if it did not
 take the most vigorous                 
measures4--,they further dilated on the 
necessity of re-establishing the        
authority of the courts of justice2--and
 other arguments of the same  tendency1 
which would have been more conclusive1  
more useful1 if the  supporters of the  
declaration had brought forward the     
shadow of a mode  to assure it's        
execution4 ,the debate from being warm  

became bitter1 till  it was at length   
resolved1 that a declaration should be  
issued for the  security of property1   
and that the remaining proposals of the 
committee  should be discussed the next 
evening1 the #dth of august4    ,but1   
before they separated1 the assembly was 
informed1 that ,broglio had  ordered all
 the arms1 deposited at the town-house  
of ,thionville1 to be  carried          
away4--,this step appeared to them the  
height of imprudence1 at a  moment when 
the community was obliged to arm itself 
to watch over the  public safety4       
,the following morning it was decided by
 a great majority1 that there  should be
 a declaration of rights separate from  
the constitution4 ,the  sitting of the  
evening was impatiently expected1 and   
the opposers of a  new proclamation     
flattered themselves1 that they should  
secure the  general suffrage1 by making 
it appear1 that patriotism demanded     
great  sacrifices2 and that instead of  
the vain formality of an exhortation1   

soon despised by the people1 it was     
necessary to carry real offerings to    
the altar of peace4--,this was the      
purport of a speech made by one of the  
nobles1 the viscount de ,noailles2 who  
showed1 in a very forcible manner1      
#8that the kingdom1 at this moment1     
fluctuated between the alternative of   
the destruction of society1 or of a     
government which would be admired  and  
imitated by all ,europe4 ,how is this   
government to be obtained8' said  he1   
#8how are the relaxed ties of society to
 be strengthened8 ,by calming  the      
people1' he continues1 #8by letting them
 see1 that we are really  employed for  
their good2 and that we resist them only
 where it is  manifestly conducive to   
their interest1 that they should be     
resisted1--,to  attain then this        
tranquillity1 so necessary1 ,i propose3 
#8#ast4 ,that it be declared1 before the
 proclamation digested by the           
committee1 that the representatives of  
the nation have decided to levy  the    

impost1 henceforward1 in proportion to  
the income of each  individual4         
#8#b;dly4 ,that all the public charges  
shall1 in future1 be equally  supported 
by the whole community4    #8#c;dly1    
,that all the feudal claims shall be    
redeemable1 on a fair  valuation4       
#8#dthly1 ,that all the manorial claims1
 the mains-mortes1 and other  personal  
services1 shall be done away1 without   
any ransom4    #8#ethly4 ,that the      
manorial rents in poultry1 and other    
kinds of  provision1 shall be redeemable
 by the proprietor or contractor1 at a  
just valuation4'    ,the duke           
d',aiguillon seconded this motion1 which
 had been warmly  applauded2 or rather  
made another tending to the same end4   
,for dreading  the suppression of his   
pension1 when the ,livre ,rouge should  
be  reviewed1 he suddenly1 from being a 
minion of the old court1 became a  loud 
patriot4 ,and further to evince his zeal
 in the cause of liberty1 he  declared1 
#8that the insurrection sound it's      

excuse in the vexations to  which the   
people were subject4 ,the lords of      
manors1' he observes1  #8seldom commit  
the excesses of which their vassals     
complain2 but their  agents are often   
devoid of humanity1 and the wretched    
husbandmen1  subject to the barbarous   
feudal laws still in force1 groan under 
the  restriction to which they become   
the victims4 ,at this happy era1 when   
united for the public good1 and         
disengaged from all personal interest1  
we are going to labour for the          
regeneration of the state1 it seems to  
me1 gentlemen1 that it is necessary1    
before establishing this  constitution1 
so desired by the nation1 to prove to   
all the citizens1  that our intention is
 to establish1 as soon as possible1 that
 equality  of rights which alone can    
assure their liberty4'    ,it too       
frequently happens1 that men run from   
one extreme to another1 and  that       
despair adopts the most violent         
measures4 ,the french people had  long  

been groaning under the lash of a       
thousand oppressions2 they were  the    
hewers of wood1 and drawers of water1   
for the chosen few4 ,it was1  therefore1
 to be apprehended1 after they had once 
thrown off the yoke1  which had         
imprinted on their character the hateful
 fears of servitude1  that they would   
expect the most unbridled freedom1      
detesting all  wholesome restraints1 as 
reins they were not now bound to obey4  
,from  observing1 perhaps1 that this was
 the disposition of the times1 the      
political empirics have continually     
inflamed the foibles of the  multitude1 
by flattering them4 ,thus the nobility1 
whose order would  probably lose most by
 the revolution1 made the most popular  
motions1 to  gain favour with the       
people2 tickling the spirit they could  
not tame4  ,thus also we have seen the  
desperate leaders of factions selecting 
ingeniously the terms sans-culottes1    
citoyen1 and egalit1 in  order to cajole
 the minds of the vulgar2 and hence it  

has happened1  that1 in proportion as   
this cajolery was more highly seasoned1 
the power  of ruling has descended to   
the most desperate and impudent of the  
smatterers in politics2 whilst public   
anarchy1 and private discord1 have  been
 productive of the dreadful             
catastrophes1 and wanton outrages1 which
  have given such home thrusts to the   
dignity of freedom4    ,the feudal      
claims that insult humanity1 and show   
how near man is to the  brute creation  
when laws are first made1 were          
afterwards attempted to be  enumerated2 
but a general cry of indignation and    
horrour prevented the  deputy from      
finishing the frightful picture of human
 debasement and  brutality4 ,the        
vestiges of these direful oppressions1  
however1 were  still held dear by these 
very men1 who1 not having the compass of
  morality to direct their politics1    
were humane rather through weakness  of 
nerves than soundness of understanding4 
,be this as it may1 the motion of the   

viscount de ,noailles excited a  sudden 
enthusiasm1 mixed with anger4 ,the      
members of the privileged  orders1 like 
children1 seemed to say1 by their       
actions1 if you force me  to give up    
this toy1 it is fair that you should    
resign your  sugar-plumb4--,one gave a  
blow in the face2 and the retort        
courteous was a  back-handed stroke4    
,for a member1 that the duke            
d',aiguillon should not  be generous at 
the expence of others1 proposed the     
immediate  suppression of all places and
 emoluments granted so profusely by the 
court1 as the heaviest burthen of the   
people--because obliged to support  with
 their necessaries the luxuries of the  
great2 who1 detained as a  kind of      
guards at court1 were not only prevented
 from enlivening the  provinces by their
 presence1 but distressed them by       
drawing away their  produce4            
,distinguishing1 however1 between the   
pensions obtained by  intrigue1 and     
those that were the reward of actual    

services1--he moved1  that the former   
should be suppressed1 and the latter    
reduced4    ,a motion was then made1    
that not only feudal rights1 but all the
  jurisdiction of the lords of manors1  
established on the same arbitrary       
ground1 should be abolished4    ,the    
president now1 according to rule1       
perceiving that no one attempted  to    
speak against the motion1 was proceeding
 to put it to the vote--but he  paused1 
reproaching himself for attempting to   
put an end to such an  interesting      
discussion before such among the clergy1
 as wished to speak1  had had an        
opportunity of declaring their          
sentiments4    ,this artful compliment  
roused the bishop of ,nancy to declare1 
#8that1 the  continual and sympathizing 
witnesses of the misery of the people1  
the  clergy undoubtedly sighed after an 
opportunity to contribute to their      
relief2 and that the motion anticipated 
their desire3 yet1 to show their  entire
 approbation of it1 he must be permitted

 to propose in addition1  that the price
 of the ransom of ecclesiastical        
feudalities should not be  converted to 
the profit of the actual incumbent2 but 
thrown into a fund  for the relief of   
the poorer part of the body4'    ,the   
bishop of ,chartres1 after approving of 
the sacrifices already made1  demanded1 
that the suppression of the game laws   
should be joined to  them4 ,this worthy 
prelate painted the injustice of those  
laws1 not less  absurd than oppressive1 
which force the farmer to be the        
tranquil  spectator of the ravages of   
his harvest2 condemning him to endure   
cruel  punishments1 if he follow the    
first impulse of nature1 which would    
lead  him to kill the animals that      
injure him4 ,a number of the nobility   
concurred in these sentiments2 for who  
would be outdone in heroism8 and        
demanded the renunciations of these     
unnatural privileges4    ,the president 
de ,saint-,fargeau now rose1 to demand  
an explanation  relative to the taxes of

 which the clergy and nobility offered  
to divide  the weight4 #8,we have       
given1' said he1 #8hopes to the people2 
but we ought  to give them something    
more substantial2 we have decreed1 that1
  provisionally1 the taxes should       
continue to be paid as they have been   
hitherto2 that is to say1 we have       
reserved to the clergy and the  nobility
 the benefit of their exemptions1 till  
they are expressly  revoked4--,why do we
 delay to pronounce this revocation1 so 
strictly  imposed in almost all our     
instructions8--,i propose1 therefore1   
that not  only for the last six months1 
but from the very commencement of the   
year1 all privileged persons1 without   
exception1 support their  proportional  
part of the public impost4'    ,as the  
discussion of the propositions of the   
viscount de ,noailles  advanced1 the    
necessity of effacing all the traces of 
servitude became  more and more obvious2
 and all the members seemed eager to    
point out to  their colleagues the new  

sacrifices1 that ought to be made to the
 good  of their country4 ,one demanded  
the suppression of the exclusive right  
to  warrens2--another that of fisheries2
 a third the sale of offices1 and  that 
justice should be administered          
gratuitously4    ,the parish priest of  
,soupes1 in the name of his brethren1   
joined the  oblations of the poor to the
 hecatombs1 of which the most part cost 
nothing to those who proposed them2 #8he
 declared1 that1 animated by a  desire  
to contribute to the relief of the      
people1 they would relinquish1  from the
 present time1 all their casual 7or     
surplice7 fees4' ,this offer1  made with
 great simplicity of heart1 affected the
 assembly2 nor could a  very different  
proposal1 made by the duke du ,chtelet1 
respecting the  buying up of the tithes1
 efface it entirely4    ,the transition 
to gaiety1 when a member asked          
permission to offer also  his sparrow1  
was very natural in a people1 who always
 mix a degree of  sarcastic pleasantry1 

the good-humoured face of which first   
appears1  with the most serious things4 
,however1 after the laughter ceased1--he
  continued to make his demand more     
seriously1 by observing1 that an        
object1 trifling in appearance1 was a   
real grievance to the husbandmen2  he   
moved1 therefore1 for the total         
demolition of all the dove-cotes        
throughout the kingdom4    ,the         
respectable duke de la ,rochefoucault1  
after having applauded all  these       
propositions1 remarked1 that the king   
had given the example of  freeing the   
serfs in his demesnes2 and that the     
moment was come1 to  extend this benefit
 to all the kingdom4 ,this benevolent   
citizen did not  stop here2 but added a 
wish1 that1 before the close of the     
sessions1 the  assembly would take into 
consideration the fate of the unhappy   
victims  of covetousness1 retained in   
slavery under another hemisphere4    ,a 
member now made a motion1 that excited  
testimonies of the most sincere         

satisfaction from the assembly2 it was  
to augment the stipends of the  parish  
priests1 the most respectable part of   
the clergy4    ,several dignitaries of  
the church1 possessing two or more      
benefices1  unwilling to be left behind 
in generosity1 followed with a          
declaration1  that1 conformable to the  
canons1 they were resolved to limit     
themselves  to a single one4    ,the    
deputies of the provinces enjoying      
peculiar privileges receiving a  hint1  
that the appellation of french citizens1
 all partaking the same  rights1 was the
 most glorious they could bear1         
immediately came forward  to renounce   
them4 ,a number of propositions1 more or
 less important1  brought up the rear4  
,the suppression of the first fruits2   
the rights of  wardenship2 and the      
abrogation of those barbarous vows1     
which fetter  unfortunate beings for    
life4--,in short1 full and entire       
liberty for the                         
non-catholics4--,admission of all the   

citizens into all offices1              
ecclesiastical1 civil1 and              
military4--,abolition of the plurality  
of  ecclesiastical pensions4--,and then1
 not forgetting their national          
character1 it was proposed1 that a medal
 should be struck in  commemoration of  
this night#be2 and a decree also passed1
 conferring  gratuitously on the king   
the august title1 it might savour of a  
style  that scarcely befits the dignity 
of history1 to say nick-name1 of        
,,restorer ,,of ,,french ,,liberty4 ,a  
deputation was accordingly appointed to 
carry this new mark of homage to the    
king1 and to request his presence  at a 
solemn ,te ,deum1 to be celebrated      
throughout the kingdom4--,and  behold   
night closed on the renowned #dth of    
august6    ,it is not possible1 says a  
journalist of the day1 to give a        
distinct  description of the scenes     
which were continually shifting during  
this  sitting4--,the vivacity of the    
sentiments1 the quick transition from a 

generous emotion to an epigrammatical   
sensation1 the disorder which made      
sensibility predominate over legislative
 dignity--the reciprocal  mistrust1 and 
the combat of generosity--all           
diversified by the amiable  and seducing
 enthusiasm1 so characteristic of the   
nation1 made this an  epocha in the     
history of the revolution1 on which the 
contemplative  mind1 accustomed to      
consider the varied character of man1   
will ponder4    ,another observation1   
also1 naturally occurs2 for it is just  
to remark1  as a proof of the crudeness 
of the political notions1 not to mention
  principles1 of these legislators1 that
 all talked of sacrifices1 and  boasted 
of generosity1 when they were only doing
 common justice1 and  making the obvious
 practical comment on the declaration of
 rights1 which  they had passed in the  
morning4--,if such were the rights of   
man--they were  more or less than men1  
who withheld them2 and the resignation1 
rather a  resumption of their reason    

than a sacrifice of their property1 was 
called for1 the moment they acknowledged
 the sovereignty of the people  by      
becoming their representatives4    ,it  
is very possible1 that the next morning 
the different parties could  scarcely   
believe1 that they had more than the    
imperfect recollection of  a dream in   
their heads4 ,so quick1 indeed1 had been
 the determinations of  the meeting1    
which encroached on the midnight hour1  
that they had not  the sober cast of    
thought to give them dignity4 ,they seem
 in reality to  have been mostly the    
effect of passion1 of ambition1 or a    
vain desire of  vengeance2 for those who
 were led only by enthusiasm1 and the   
vanity of  the moment1 esteemed their   
conduct as highly extravagant1 when they
 had  time to cool4 ,but the commons1   
who had the deepest views1 knew to what 
they had urged them1 and would not let  
them recede4    ,it is true1 the        
abolition of these privileges and powers
 had been  strictly enjoined1 in the    

instructions given to the deputies by   
their  constituents2 but1 it is         
doubtful1 whether they would have been  
attended  to1 had not the most sagacious
 foreseen1 that the neglect might       
occasion  a civil war4 ,knowing1 that   
then property would not be cautiously   
respected1 they began by attacking that 
of their presumptuous  adversaries2 and 
actually surprised the assembly into the
 unanimous  renunciation of all revenues
 arising from feudal dues1 and even into
 the  abolition of tithes4 ,the         
nobility1 also1 who saw1 that they      
should gain  more by the suppression of 
tithes1 than they should lose by the    
sacrifice of the obnoxious manorial     
fees1 came into the same system4 ,the   
steps likewise taken to increase the    
salaries of the indigent clergy1  the   
most numerous part of the body in the   
assembly1 secured their  influence4 ,and
 by destroying the monopoly of municipal
 and judicial  employments1 the support 
of the cities was obtained4--,thus the  

national  assembly1 without a struggle1 
found itself omnipotent4 ,their only    
enemies were individuals1 seemingly of  
importance1 it is true1 as they  had    
been accustomed to lead the great       
corporate bodies2 but what was  their   
empire1 when all their former subjects  
were withdrawn from their  control8 of  
these enemies1 the church dignitaries   
were of the most  consequence2 but1     
after the confiscation of ecclesiastical
 property1 it  would have been          
impossible for the court1 even supposing
 a  counter-revolution1 to provide for  
them2 as they would have been a dead    
weight on the royalists4                
,unfortunately1 almost every thing      
human1 however beautiful or splendid    
the superstructure1 has1 hitherto1 been 
built on the vile foundation of         
selfishness2 virtue has been the        
watch-word1 patriotism the trumpet1 and 
glory the banner of enterprize2 but pay 
and plunder have been the real  motives4
 ,i do not mean to assert1 that there   

were not any real patriots  in the      
assembly4--,i know there were many4 ,by 
real patriots1 ,i mean men  who have    
studied politics1 and whose ideas and   
opinions on the subject  are reduced to 
principles2 men who make that science so
 much their  principal object1 as to be 
willing to give up time1 personal       
safety1 and  whatever society           
comprehends in the phrase1 personal     
interest1 to  secure the adoption of    
their plans of reform1 and the diffusion
 of  knowledge4    ,but most of the     
leaders of the national assembly were   
guided by the  vulgar import of the     
word1 a vain desire of applause1 or deep
 schemes of  emolument4 ,the ,lameths1  
for instance1 who had been the          
obsequious slaves  of the queen1 were   
among the hottest advocates for popular 
power2 and  throughout the assembly     
there were traces of a similar spirit4  
,during the first struggle1 the national
 assembly and the people were  divided  
into republicans and royalists2 but we  

shall find1 from the  moment all danger 
of disturbance appeared to be over1 the 
higher class  were receding from the    
patriots1 and recruiting from the       
royalists1 to  form for themselves1     
under the appellation of the impartiaux1
 the  elements of a growing aristocracy4
                                        
,,chapter ,,iii4     ,,reflections ,,on 
,,the ,,members ,,of ,,the ,,national   
,,assembly4 ,,secession ,,of  ,,several 
,,pseudo-,,patriots4 ,,society ,,ripe   
,,for ,,improvement ,,throughout        
,,europe4  ,,war ,,natural ,,to ,,men   
,,in ,a ,,savage ,,state4 ,,remarks ,,on
 ,,the ,,origin ,,and ,,progress   ,,of 
,,society4 ,,the                        
,,arts--,,property--,,inequality ,,of   
,,conditions--,,war4 ,,picture ,,of     
,,manners ,,in ,,modern ,,france4       
,the despotism of the former government 
of ,france having formed the most       
voluptuous1 artificial characters1 in   
the higher orders of society1  makes it 
less extraordinary to find the leading  

patriots men without  principles or     
political knowledge1 excepting what they
 had casually  gleaned from books1 only 
read to while away an idle hour not     
employed in  pleasure4 ,so superficial  
indeed was their acquaintance with any  
subject  that demanded thought--and so  
great the degeneracy of their manners1  
it  was natural for every man of        
reflection to infer1 that a considerable
  length of time must elapse before the 
new order of things1 which they  were   
about to create1 could attain stability4
 ,but this was not a  discouraging      
consideration1 when it was obvious1 that
 important  advantages had already been 
gained by the people2 and by the        
improvement  of morals1 which would     
necessarily follow1 it was to be        
presumed1 that  the evils1 the old      
system produced1 would vanish before    
gradual  amendments2 whilst1 by a       
practical knowledge of political and    
civil  liberty1 the great objects of the
 revolution would be ascertained2       

namely1 just laws1 and equal liberty4   
,the depravity of the higher class1 and 
the ignorance of the lower  respecting  
practical political science1 rendered   
them equally incapable  of thinking for 
themselves2 so that the measures which  
flattered the  foibles1 or gratified the
 weakness of either1 were sure to have  
great  influence in producing a schism  
in the public mind2 which gave an       
opportunity to the enemies of the       
revolution to impede it's course4 ,and  
the number of the lower class having    
it's due weight1 when they became  free1
 the most daring innovators became the  
greatest favourites with the  public1 to
 whose will every prudential            
consideration was obliged to  yield4    
,much had been gained on the #dth of    
august by the nation3 the old forms  of 
feudal vassalage were completely        
overturned--and ,france then stood at   
the point the most advantageous in which
 a government was ever                  
constructed4--,she stood fair as the    

dawn of her liberty1 having shaken  off 
the prejudices of ages2 and reason was  
tracing out the road1 which  leads to   
virtue1 glory1 and happiness--,still    
ambitious selfishness1  melancholy      
drawback6 governed too great a          
proportion of the assembly2  and the    
nobles and clergy who had been averse to
 the junction of the  orders now        
intriguing1 every debate became a bitter
 or violent contest1  in which the      
popular advocates continued to gain an  
ascendency4    ,this disposition to     
intrigue1 and want of sincerity1 so     
generally  remarked in the ,french      
character1 laid the foundation of       
universal  distrust2 and the coalesced  
parties1 who had not been actuated by a 
love  of liberty1 or regard for the     
prosperity of the kingdom1 but          
dexterously  fell in with the spirit of 
the day1 were not aware1 that a         
watchful1  suspicious multitude1 would  
be as likely to mistrust them in their  
turn1  as the court1 which had thriven  

on the ruin of their happiness4 ,this   
was  a blindness so gross1 that it      
appears not a little wonderful1 after   
considering the different characters1   
who succeeded each other in the         
ministry1 or directed the helm of the   
state1 that men should not acquire      
sufficient judgment to adopt the        
integrity of conduct1 with which alone  
people in their senses1 awake to their  
interest and rights1 will ever be       
satisfied4    ,for a vain-glorious      
ambition1 mixing with the abortions of  
giddy  patriotism1 acts as the most     
fatal poison to political disquisitions1
  during seasons of public ferment4 ,the
 solid views of deep thinkers are       
adapted to the spirit of the times1 and 
the state of reason of their  compeers4 
,and if they find1 that the current of  
opinion1 in overturning  inveterate     
prejudices1 and the decayed walls of    
laws1 that no longer  suit the manners1 
threatens the destruction of principles 
the most  sacred2 they ought firmly to  

wait at their post1 until1 the fervour  
abating1 they could1 by diverting the   
stream1 gradually restrain it  within   
proper bounds4--,but such patriotism is 
of slow growth2 requiring  both a       
luxuriant public soil1 and to be        
fostered by virtuous emulation4  ,yet   
this emulation will never flourish in a 
country where intriguing  finesse1      
supplying the place of exalted merit1 is
 the surest ladder to  distinction4 ,it 
was by debasing artifices1 under the old
 government1  that men obtained favour  
and consequence2 and whilst such men1   
men who  were educated and ossified by  
the ancient regimen1 act on the         
political stage of ,france1 mankind will
 be continually distressed and  amused  
by their tragic and comic exhibitions4  
,art applied to art1 and stratagem      
against stratagem1 may produce1 for a   
time1 alternate defeats2 but ultimately 
the most cunning will triumph4          
,vanity had made every frenchman a      
theorist1 though political aphorisms    

were never ascertained under the reign  
of tyranny or caprice4 ,the  sagacious  
part of the nation1 it is true1 clearly 
perceived1 that the  period was arrived1
 when a revolution was inevitable2 but  
selfishness  being incompatible with    
noble1 comprehensive1 or laudable views1
 it is  not wonderful1 keeping in sight 
the national foible1 that at the meeting
  of the states-general every deputy had
 his particular plan to suggest4  ,few  
of the leaders embraced the same2 and   
acting1 without coalescing1  the most   
violent measures were sure to be the    
most applauded4 ,we shall  find also1   
that some of the most strenuous         
advocates for reforming  abuses1 and    
establishing a constitution1 when their 
favourite systems  were exploded1       
peevishly retired in disgust3 and by    
afterwards venting  it1 have hurried    
into action a race of monsters1 the most
 flagitious  that ever alarmed the world
 by the murder of innocents1 and the    
mockery  of justice2 and whilst the     

profanation of her temple1 besprinkled  
with  blood1 has branded with an        
indelible stigma the sanguinary brutes1 
the  deserters cannot escape without a  
share of the odium4    ,contemplating   
the progress of the revolution1 a       
melancholy reflection is  produced by   
observing1 that almost every precipitate
 event has been the  consequence of a   
tenacity and littleness of mind in the  
political  actors1 whilst they were     
affecting a roman magnanimity of        
conduct--to  which they appear to have  
been as great strangers1 as they were   
destitute of legitimate patriotism1 and 
political science4    ,we have first    
seen ,calonne1 in order to secure his   
popularity and place1  proposing an     
equalization of taxes2 and1 when he     
found that his  consequence and power   
were lost1 abandoning his country in    
disgust1 and  employing the most        
unwarrantable means to involve his      
fellow citizens in  all the horrours of 
a civil war4 ,we shall find1 likewise1  

several other  declaimers1 for their    
subsequent conduct obliges me to        
consider them in  no better light1 when 
their plans were disregarded1 if not    
acting the  same shameful part1 yet     
leaving their posts2 their patriotism   
expiring  with their popularity4--,and  
it will be only necessary to keep in    
mind the  conduct of all the leading    
men1 who have been active in the        
revolution1  to perceive1 that the      
disasters of the nation have arisen from
 the same  miserable source of vanity1  
and the wretched struggles of           
selfishness2  when the crisis required1 
that all enlightened patriots should    
have  united and formed a band1 to have 
consolidated the great work2 the        
commencement of which they had          
accelerated4 ,in proportion as these    
desertions have taken place1 the best   
abilities which the country  contained  
have disappeared4 ,and thus it has      
happened1 that ignorance and  audacity  
have triumphed1 merely because there    

were not found those  brilliant talents1
 which1 pursuing the straight forward   
line of  political economy1 arrest1 as  
it were1 the suffrage of every well     
disposed citizen4--,such talents existed
 in ,france3 and had they combined1  and
 directed their views by a pure love of 
their country1 to one point2  all the   
disasters1 which in overwhelming the    
empire have destroyed the  repose of    
,europe1 would not have occurred to     
disgrace the cause of  freedom4         
,every great reform requires systematic 
management2 and however lightly  weak   
daring heads may treat the gravity of   
such a remark1 the pacific  progress of 
every revolution will depend1 in a very 
material degree1 on  the moderation and 
reciprocity of concessions made by the  
acting  parties4 ,it is true1 that in a 
nation chiefly celebrated for wit so    
much  prudence could scarcely be        
expected--yet that is not a sufficient  
reason  for condemning all the          
principles1 that produced the           

revolution3 for  liberty cannot be      
considered as belonging exclusively to  
any particular  climate1 or temper of   
mind1 as a physical effect4 ,it was     
peculiarly  urgent1 indeed1 to form such
 a coalition1 to counteract the         
dangerous  consequences of old          
prejudices4 ,the stubborn habits of men1
 whom  personal interest kept firm to   
their ground1 it was morally certain    
would interrupt the tranquil march of   
the revolution3 it would have been      
prudent then for men1 who agreed in the 
main objects1 to have overlooked        
trifling differences of opinion1 till   
they were secured3 and of this  several 
members seem to have been aware4#bf     
,had the conduct of men been sincere1   
and had they really pursued that        
fraternity1 about which they so         
continually declaimed2 they might1 in   
consolidating the rights of french      
citizens1 have established every        
political advantage1 which the then     
state of reason was capable of  adopting

 for the immediate benefit of society4  
,but resentment bursting  forth1 which  
had long lain concealed 7the effect of  
servitude and  contumely71 joined with  
the vanity of excelling all other       
nations in the  science of government1  
to produce an insolent audacity of      
conduct1  which1 aiming at overturning  
every thing1 discouraged the wavering1  
and  frightened the timid4 ,designing   
knaves then conceived the plan of rising
  to eminence by the accumulating       
foibles of the multitude1 who1 loosened 
from all restraint1 were easily caught  
by the insidious arts of the most       
contemptible anarchists4    ,the object 
of those monsters1 who were meditating  
the violation of the  sacred ties of    
honour and humanity1 was early perceived
 by the more  penetrating2 but instead  
of opposing themselves to their designs1
 they  for the most part became         
initiated into their clubs2 whilst      
others1 more  haughty1 though perhaps   
less under the direction of             

principles1--if there  were any among   
them1--emigrated1 leaving their country 
verging towards  the whirlpool of civil 
discord1 and all it's concomitant       
wretchedness4    ,it is necessary for us
 to attend closely to these             
considerations1 in  order to be enabled 
to form a just opinion of the various   
revolutions  which have succeeded each  
other3--because1 from a superficial view
 of  things of this nature1 we          
frequently attribute to the passions1 or
  innate turpitude of man1 what was     
merely the effect of moral depravity4   
,hence it has happened1 that so many of 
the admirers of the revolution1  in its 
infancy1 now talk of extravagant        
innovations1 tending to overturn  all   
the barriers of justice1--to trample on 
the feelings of humanity1 and  to       
destroy every thing splendid and        
beautiful1--the production of ages1     
industry1 taste1 and learning4    ,but  
this revolution did not interest        
frenchmen alone2 for it's influence     

extending throughout the continent1 all 
the passions and prejudices of  ,europe 
were instantly set afloat4 ,that most   
favoured part of the globe  had risen to
 an astonishing pre-eminence1 though    
every where it's  inhabitants have had  
to contend with distinctions the most   
unnatural1  and prejudices the most     
veteran4 ,but1 having overcome those    
formidable  obstacles to the happiness  
of her citizens1 society seems to have  
arrived at that point of civilization1  
when it becomes necessary for           
governments to meliorate it's condition1
 or a dissolution of their power  and   
authority will be the consequence of a  
wilful disregard of the  intimations of 
the times4 ,this is a truth1 which the  
people have  perceived2 but which the   
parasites of courts1 and the advocates  
for  despotism have not been willing to 
believe4 ,and besides1 their support1   
it might be said existence1 being       
attached to the continuation of those   
savage abuses1 they have fought with    

unusual intrepidity in their  defence4  
,thus wars have been the business of    
courts1 in which they have  artfully    
interested the passions of the people4  
,men in a savage state1 without         
intellectual amusements1 or even fields 
or vineyards to employ them1 depending  
for subsistance on the casual  supply of
 the chace1 seem continually to have    
made war1 one with  another1 or nation  
with nation2 and the booty taken from   
their enemies  formed the principal     
object of contest1 because war was not1 
like  industry1 a kind of abridgement of
 their liberty4 ,but the social         
feelings of man1 after having been      
exercised by a perilous life1 flow  over
 in long stories1 when he reaches       
garrulous old age4 ,whilst his          
listening progeny wondering at his      
feats1 their hearts are fired with  the 
ambition of equaling their fire4 ,his   
soul also warmed by sympathy1  feeling  
for the distresses of his fellow        
creatures1 and particularly for  the    

helpless state of decrepit age2 he      
begins to contemplate1 as  desirable1   
associations of men1 to prevent the     
inconveniencies arising  from loneliness
 and solitude4 ,hence little communities
 living together  in the bonds of       
friendship1 securing to them the        
accumulated powers of  man1 mark the    
origin of society3 and tribes growing   
into nations1  spreading themselves over
 the globe1 form different languages1   
which  producing different interests1   
and misunderstandings1 excite distrust4 
,the invention of the arts now affords  
him employment2 and it is in  proportion
 to their extension that he becomes     
domestic1 and attached to  his home4    
,for whilst they were in their infancy  
his restless temper1 and  savage        
manners1 still kept alive his passion   
for war and plunder2 and we  shall find1
 if we look back to the first           
improvement of man1 that as his         
ferocity wore away1 the right of        
property grew sacred4 ,the prowess or   

abilities of the leaders of barbarians  
gave them likewise an ascendency  in    
their respective dynasties2 which       
gaining strength in proportion to  the  
ignorance of the age1 produced the      
distinctions of men1 from which  the    
great inequality of conditions has      
originated2 and they have been          
preserved long since the necessity has  
ceased to exist4    ,during the reign of
 ignorance1 the disagreements of states 
could be  settled only by combats2 and  
the art of dexterously murdering seems  
to  have decided differences1 where     
reason should have been the arbitrator4 
,the custom then of settling disputes at
 the point of the bayonet1 in  modern   
,europe1 has been justified by the      
example of barbarians2 and  whilst fools
 continually argue from the practice of 
inhuman savages1  that wars are         
necessary evils1 courts have found them 
convenient to  perpetuate their power3  
thus slaughter has furnished a plausible
 pretext  for peculation4               

,fortunately1 in spite of the various   
impediments that have thwarted the      
advancement of knowledge1 the blessings 
of society have been  sufficiently      
experienced to convince us1 that the    
only solid good to be  expected from a  
government must result from the security
 of our persons  and property4 ,and     
domestic felicity has given a mild      
lustre to human  happiness superiour to 
the false glory of sanguinary           
devastation1 or  magnificent robberies4 
,our fields and vineyards have thus     
gradually  become the principal objects 
of our care--and it is from this general
  sentiment governing the opinion of the
 civilized part of the world1 that  we  
are enabled to contemplate1 with some   
degree of certainty1 the  approaching   
age of peace4    ,all that could be done
 by a body of manners1 without a soul of
 morals1  to improve mankind1 had been  
tried in ,france--,the result was       
polished  slavery2 and such an          
inordinate love of pleasure1 as led the 

majority to  search only for enjoyment1 
till the tone of nature was destroyed4  
,yet  some few really learned the true  
art of living2 giving that degree of    
elegance to domestic intercourse1 which1
 prohibiting gross familiarity1  alone  
can render permanent the family         
affections1 whence all the social       
virtues spring4    ,it is a mistake to  
suppose that there was no such thing as 
domestic  happiness in ,france1 or even 
in ,paris4 ,for many french families1 on
 the  contrary1 exhibited an            
affectionate urbanity of behaviour to   
each other1  seldom to be met with where
 a certain easy gaiety does not soften  
the  difference of age and condition4   
,the husband and wife1 if not lovers1   
were the civilest friends and the       
tenderest parents in the world--the     
only parents1 perhaps1 who really       
treated their children like friends2    
and the most affable masters and        
mistresses4 ,mothers were also to be    
found1 who1 after suckling their        

children1 paid a degree of attention to 
their education1 not thought compatible 
with the levity of character  attributed
 to them2 whilst they acquired a portion
 of taste and  knowledge rarely to be   
found in the women of other countries4  
,their  hospitable boards were          
constantly open to relations and        
acquaintance1  who1 without the         
formality of an invitation1 enjoyed     
there cheerfulness  free from restraint2
 whilst more select circles closed the  
evening1 by  discussing literary        
subjects4 ,in the summer1 when they     
retired to their  mansion houses1 they  
spread gladness around1 and partook of  
the  amusements of the peasantry1 whom  
they visited with paternal solicitude4  
,these were1 it is true1 the rational   
few1 not numerous in any  country--and  
where is led a more useful or rational  
life8    ,in the provinces1 likewise1   
more simplicity of manners prevailing1  
their  morals were more pure3 though    
family pride1 as in ,england1 made the  

most  noble house the royal family of   
each village1 who visited the grand     
court only to import it's follies4      
,besides1 in ,france1 the women have    
not those factitious1 supercilious      
manners1 common to the english2 and     
acting more freely1 they have more      
decision of character1 and even more    
generosity4 ,rousseau has taught them   
also a scrupulous attention to  personal
 cleanliness1 not generally to be seen  
elsewhere3 their coquetry  is not only  
more agreeable1 but more natural3 and   
not left a prey to  unsatisfied         
sensations1 they were less romantic     
indeed than the english2  yet many of   
them possessed delicacy of sentiment4   
,it is1 perhaps1 in a state of          
comparative idleness--pursuing          
employments  not absolutely necessary to
 support life1 that the finest polish is
  given to the mind1 and those personal 
graces1 which are instantly felt1  but  
cannot be described3 and it is natural  
to hope1 that the labour of  acquiring  

the substantial virtues1 necessary to   
maintain freedom1 will  not render the  
french less pleasing1 when they become  
more respectable4                       
,,an                                    
,,historical ,,and ,,moral ,,view       
,,of ,,the                              
,,french ,,revolution4                  
,,book ,,iv4                            
,,chapter ,i4      ,,opinions ,,on ,,the
 ,,transactions ,,of ,,the ,,fourth ,,of
 ,,august4 ,,disorders  ,,occasioned    
,,by ,,those ,,transactions4 ,,necker   
,,demands ,,the ,,assembly',s ,,sanction
   ,,to ,a ,,loan4 ,a ,,loan ,,decreed4 
,,tithes ,,abolished4 ,,debate ,,on     
,,the ,,declaration    ,,of ,,rights4   
,,the ,,formation ,,of ,a               
,,constitution4 ,,debate ,,on ,,the     
,,executive    ,,power4 ,,the           
,,suspensive ,,veto ,,adopted4          
,,pretended ,,and ,,real ,,views ,,of   
,,the   ,,combination ,,of ,,despots    
,,against ,,france4 ,,debate ,,on ,,the 
,,constitution ,,of ,a    ,,senate4     

,,means ,,of ,,peaceably ,,effecting ,a 
,,reform ,,should ,,make ,a ,,part ,,of 
,,every ,,constitution4      ,the       
numerous offerings made to their country
 by the deputies1 on the #dth  of       
august1 excited loud applause2 but not  
without a mixture of sarcastic  censure1
 and murmurs of disapprobation4    ,some
 blamed the decrees1 which1 said they1  
have sacrificed the property  of several
 thousand families to the vain desire of
 popularity4--,others  complained of the
 neglect of those forms1 by which every 
assembly1 that  aspires at putting some 
maturity into it's decrees1 ought to    
direct it's  debates2--they disapproved 
of an afternoon sitting2--of the rapid  
succession of subjects1 not allowing    
time for any to be weighed2--of the     
multiplicity of them2--and of the       
continual acclamations1 which rendered  
a calm discussion physically            
impossible4--#8,what6' they continued1  
#8shall  the most important business    
always be treated with the levity1 which

  characterized us before we deserved to
 be termed a nation8 ,eternally the     
sport of our vivacity1 a happy turn     
decides with us the most serious  point2
 and gay sallies are ever our           
substitutes for arguments4--,we do      
madly the wisest things2 and even our   
reason is always connected by some      
filament or other to                    
inconsistency4--,the national assembly  
had been a  long time reproached for    
dwelling on trifling objects2 and not   
attending  sufficiently to the promotion
 of general good4--,when suddenly--in a 
single  night1 more than twenty         
important laws are decided by an uproar4
 ,so much  done1 in such a short time1  
is so astonishing1 that it appears like 
a  dream4'    ,in reply it was          
said--#8,why deliberate1 when all are   
agreed8--,does not a  general good      
always appear self-evident8--,was it not
 sufficient to  declare these patriotic 
propositions to prove their             
justness8--,the first  person1 who      

pointed out a new tribute to the public 
interest1 only gave  utterance to what  
we all before felt--there was no need   
then of  discussion or eloquence1 to    
make that be adopted1 which had already 
been  resolved by the greater number of 
the deputies1 and commanded by the      
awful authority of the nation1 in their 
mandates4--,the assembly might  have    
proceeded more methodically2 but the    
result could not have been  more        
advantageous4 ,it seemed as if all the  
old effects1 all the  mouldering titles 
of feudal oppressions were then put up  
to auction3 and  the kind of mistrust of
 the different orders1 which provoked   
reciprocal  concessions1 was still for  
the public good4'    ,the nobles and    
clergy of the provinces1 who had not    
been carried away by  the enthusiasm of 
the #dth of august1 felt themselves     
particularly  aggrieved4 ,those who were
 recently noble did not like to mix     
again on  equal terms in towns where    
they had received the homage paid to    

princes2  and the people1 eager to      
exercise their liberty1 began to hunt   
down the  game1 regardless of the       
mischief they did to the standing corn4 
,the very  concessions of the nobility  
seemed to rouse the vengeance it ought  
to  have allayed2 and the populace      
vented their rage by burning the        
castles1  which had been1 as it were1   
legally dismantled of their feudal      
fortifications4    ,the clergy1 in      
particular1 complained1 that their      
deputies had exceeded  all bounds in    
voting away the private property of the 
body2 for they  would not allow1 that   
tithes came within the description of   
feudal  tenures4 ,the want of provision1
 likewise1 tended to make the people    
clamour about present grievances1       
without suffering the prospect of       
future comfort and respectability to    
have it's due force towards calming     
their minds4 ,all1 therefore1 flew to   
arms1 and three millions of men  wearing
 the military garb1 showed the natural  

disposition of the nation2  and their   
present resolve1 no longer to couch     
supinely under oppression4  ,many       
excesses were the consequence of this   
sudden change2 and it is  notorious1    
that the people1 in some instances1     
became the instruments of  the routed   
party2 who continued to use every       
stratagem to render the  nation         
dissatisfied with the revolution4    ,it
 is the nature of man1 either in a      
savage state or living in society1  to  
protect his property2 and it is wise in 
a government to encourage  this spirit4 
,for the example now displayed by       
,france is a notable proof  of the      
inexpediency of standing armies1 so long
 as the people have an  interest in     
supporting the political system under   
which they live4 ,the  national         
assembly1 aware of this1 invited the    
militia and the  municipalities1 to     
endeavour to quell the disorders which  
did violence  to persons and property2  
and they were particularly requested to 

take  the most watchful care1 that the  
convoys of wheat and flour were not     
stopped by the idle and lawless4 ,for   
several of the most fatal tumults  had  
originated from this cause4    ,the     
decrees of the #dth of august1 were then
 brought forward to be  examined and    
explained2 and some attempts were made  
to argue away the  essence of many of   
the vaunted sacrifices4--,but the       
discussion was  interrupted1 to attend  
to business of a more pressing nature4  
,the  present state of the nation was   
most alarming2 and the ministers1 not   
knowing how to act under the new        
trammels of responsibility1 came to     
represent to the assembly2--that the    
laws were without force2--the courts  of
 justice without activity2--and they    
requested them1 immediately to  point   
out the coercive measures necessary to  
give to the executive  authority the    
influence it had lost4--#8,for1'        
observed they1 #8whether the  irritated 
sense of the abuses1 which the king     

wishes to reform1 and you  desire to    
proscribe for ever1 have led the people 
astray2 or1 the  declaration of an      
universal regeneration have shaken the  
various powers  upon which the social   
order reposed--or whatever1 in fact1 be 
the cause1  gentlemen1 the truth is1    
that public order and tranquillity are  
disturbed in aloft every part of the    
kingdom4'    ,necker1 afterwards1 having
 explained the deplorable state of the  
finances1 the extraordinary expences1   
and the diminution in the produce  of   
the revenue1 demanded1 in the name of   
the king1 that the assembly  would      
sanction a loan of thirty millions of   
livres1 to fulfil the  engagements1 and 
discharge the inevitable expenditure of 
the two  approaching months2 by which   
time1 he presumed1 the constitution     
would  be nearly established4 ,thinking 
also1 that the patriotism of            
moneylenders was not to be reckoned     
upon1 he proposed to add to the five    
per cent4 he mentioned some allurements 

of speculation1 to quicken the          
determination of the lenders--and he    
further inferred1 that private  interest
 would then tend to quiet the kingdom1  
whilst they were  advancing in the      
formation of the constitution1 which was
 to secure it's  future tranquillity1   
and provide a permanent revenue4        
,this proposal produced the most warm   
and loud applause4--,one member         
proposed1 that the loan should instantly
 be voted in the presence of the        
minister1 as a mark of their entire     
satisfaction--another offered six       
hundred thousand livres as a security1  
that he would raise the loan in  his own
 province4 ,this effervescence1 so      
contagious1 which is after all  only    
physical sensibility1 excited by a      
commotion of the animal spirits1        
proves1 that a considerable length of   
time is necessary to accustom men  to   
exercise their rights with deliberation2
 that they may be able to  defend       
themselves from a kind of instinctive   

confidence in men2 and to  make them    
substitute respect for principles1 to a 
blind faith in  persons1 even of the    
most distinguished abilities4--,but to  
elevate a  numerous assembly to this    
calm grandeur2 to that permanent        
dignity1  which represses the emotions  
of the moment1 demands1 it is probable1 
a  more advanced state of reason4       
,lally-,tolendal supported the necessity
 of adopting the measures proposed  for 
the obtaining a loan to supply the      
exigencies of government1 which  were   
become very urgent2 and he refuted the  
objection1 made by several  deputies1   
who were against the grant1 that in     
their instructions they  had been       
strictly enjoined not to sanction any   
tax or loan before the  constitution was
 formed4 ,on this side ,mirabeau ranged 
himself2 for with  all his great talents
 and superiority of genius1 he could not
 avoid  envying inferiour abilities1    
when they attracted the least           
popularity4  ,he therefore1 with        

plausible rhetoric1 but shallow         
arguments1 opposed  the loan2 and with  
great parade moved1 that the deputies   
should offer  their individual credit1  
instead of departing from the very      
letter of  their instructions4 ,this was
 one of those instances of pretended    
disinterestedness1 or false patriotism1 
calculated to dazzle the people1  whilst
 it involved the nation in fresh        
embarrassments4    ,the plan was        
referred to the consideration of the    
committee1 appointed  to make financial 
reports3 and they accordingly           
acknowledged the  necessity of a prompt 
supply2 but thought1 that the loan might
 now be  obtained without the additional
 advantages1 which ,necker mentioned as 
a  necessary bait4 ,the discussion was  
then renewed with great heat1 and  even 
personality2 till at last the interest  
of the loan was fixed at  four and an   
half per cent42 and to slip through the 
knot they were  afraid to cut1 it was to
 be sanctioned under the wing of the    

decrees of  the #dth of august4    ,it  
did not1 however1 prove productive2 for 
in the course of three weeks1  only two 
millions1 six hundred thousand livres   
were subscribed4 ,and this  delay of    
business induced the assembly to adopt1 
with less scruple1  another proposal for
 a fresh loan1 instead of the one that  
did not  promise to answer1 at a rate   
less advantageous to the nation3 or     
rather  they yielded to the necessity1  
into which they had plunged themselves2 
and lest the mode of obtaining it to the
 executive power1 in spite of  their    
former objection4 ,but it was not an    
easy task to inspire the  bankers and   
money-holders with sufficient faith in  
the new government1  to induce them to  
come forward to support it2 besides1 the
 previous  discussion had converted     
caution into timidity2 and the more     
desperate  the state of the finances    
appeared1 the stronger grew the         
suspicion1  that threw insurmountable   
obstacles in the way of a temporary     

relief4    ,settling the precise terms  
of the decrees1 which were to abolish   
feudal vassalage1 the question          
respecting the including of tithes was  
agitated with most earnestness2 and the 
objections urged against the  abolition 
were not only ingenious1 but            
reasonable#bg4 ,the abb ,sieyes  spoke  
with great good sense1 asserting1 #8that
 the tithes were not a  tax levied on   
the nation2 but a rent-charge1 for which
 a proper  allowance had been made to   
the present possessors of the estates1  
to  not one of whom they actually       
belonged4 ,he1 therefore1 insisted1     
that1  if the sacrifice were necessary1 
it ought to be made to the public1 to   
relieve the people1 and not to enrich   
the proprietors2 who were1  generally   
speaking1 of the most opulent part of   
the community4' ,he  advised the        
assembly to be on their guard1 lest     
avarice1 under the  mask of zeal1 should
 deceive them1 leading the nation to    
reward rather  than indemnify the       

nobility4 ,the fact was1 that the landed
 interest  were only resigning obsolete 
privileges1 which they scarcely dared   
exercise1 to secure a solid advantage4  
,society has hitherto been  constructed 
in such a vicious manner1 that to       
relieve the poor you  must benefit the  
rich4 ,the present subject was a        
delicate one2 the  abolition of tithes  
would remove a very heavy vexatious     
clog1 that had  long hung on the neck of
 industry2 yet it were to be wished1    
that it  could have been settled in such
 a way as not to have secured a great   
pecuniary advantage to the nobility4    
,for though it was physically           
impossible1 to make this sacrifice to   
society at large immediately2  because  
the proprietors1 and more particularly  
the leaseholders of the  estates1 could 
not have redeemed the tithes1 without   
distressing  themselves to a degree1    
that would nearly have stopped the      
course of  husbandry2 not to mention    
agricultural improvements1 so necessary 

in  ,france1 and to be looked for as the
 fruit of liberty3--yet a gradual  tax  
on the original landlord would have     
prevented the nobility from  being the  
great gainers by their so much extolled 
disinterestedness1  in their fallacious 
sacrifice of privileges4 ,because1 for  
all real  property they were to be      
reimbursed2 and for the obnoxious feudal
  tenures1 such as personal servitude1  
with others they were ashamed to        
enumerate as being due from man to man1 
the tithes were an ample  indemnity2 or 
more properly speaking clear profit1    
except to those who  parted with the    
plumes which raised them above their    
fellows with  great regret4 ,it was1    
indeed1 very difficult to separate the  
evil from  the good1 that would redound 
to the nation by the doing away of this 
tax4--,the clergy1 however1 cut the     
debate short1 by resigning their  right1
 offering to trust to the justice of the
 public for the stipend  in return      
necessary to enable them to support the 

dignity of their  function4    ,on the  
#acth1 therefore1 the whole discussion  
closed2 for the other  articles did not 
admit of much disputation4 ,the         
president accordingly  waited on the    
king1 who received his new title with   
the decrees1 to  which he afterwards    
made some objections1 though the        
assembly considered  them as virtually  
sanctioned#bh4    ,a committee of five  
had been employed to digest a           
declaration of rights1  to precede the  
constitution4 ,the opinion of those1 who
 thought that this  declaration ought to
 have been kept back1 has already been  
alluded to2  yet the subject seems to   
require a little further consideration4 
,and1  perhaps1 it will appear just to  
separate the character of the           
philosopher1 who dedicates his exertions
 to promote the welfare1 and  perfection
 of mankind1 carrying his views beyond  
any time he chooses to  mark2 from that 
of the politician1 whose duty it is to  
attend to the  improvement and interest 

of the time in which he lives1 and not  
sacrifice any present comfort to a      
prospect of future perfection or        
happiness4 ,if this definition be just1 
the philosopher naturally becomes  a    
passive1 the politician an active       
character4 ,for though the desire of    
loudly proclaiming the grand principles 
of liberty to extend them  quickly1 be  
one of the most powerful a benevolent   
man1 of every  description of mind1     
feels2 he no sooner wishes to obey this 
impulse1  than he finds himself placed  
between two rocks4--,truth commands him 
to  say all2 wisdom whispers to him to  
temporize4--,a love of justice would    
lead him to bound over these cautious   
restraints of prudence2 did not         
humanity1 enlightened by a knowledge of 
human nature1 make him dread to         
purchase the good of posterity too      
dearly1 by the misery of the present    
generation4    ,the debates respecting  
the adoption of the declaration of      
rights became  very spirited2 and much  

heterogeneous matter was introduced1 to 
lengthen  the discussion1 and heat the  
disputants1 as the different articles   
were  reviewed4 ,the article respecting 
religion particularly arrested the      
attention of the assembly1 and produced 
one of those tumultuous scenes1  which  
have so often disgraced their           
deliberations4 ,the intolerant          
sentiments uttered2 and even the        
insertion of some amendments1 which     
could not1 without a contradiction in   
terms1 find a place in a  declaration of
 rights2 proved1 that the assembly      
contained a majority1  who were still   
governed by prejudices inimical to the  
full extent of  that liberty1 which is  
the unalienable right of each citizen1  
when it  does not infringe on the equal 
enjoyment of the same portion by his    
neighbour#bi4 ,the most sensible part of
 the assembly asserted1 that  religion  
ought not to be mentioned1 unless to    
declare1 that the free  exercise of it  
was a right in common with the free     

utterance of all  opinions2 which came  
under civil cognizance only when they   
assumed a  form1 namely1 when they      
produced effects1 that clashed with the 
laws2  and even then it was the criminal
 action1 not the passive opinion1 which 
was proscribed by the penalty of        
punishment4    ,in this declaration are 
found the principles of political and   
civil  liberty1 introduced by a very    
solemn exordium3--,declaring #8that1 as 
ignorance1 forgetfulness1 and contempt  
of the rights of men1 are the  sole     
causes of public grievances1 and of the 
corruption of governments1  the assembly
 had resolved to re-establish1 in a     
solemn declaration1 the  natural1       
imprescriptible1 and sacred rights of   
man2 in order that this  declaration1   
constantly present to all the members of
 the social body1  may continually      
remind them of their rights1 and of     
their duties2 that1  having it in their 
power every moment to compare the acts  
of the  legislative and executive       

authorities with the purpose of all     
political  institutions1 they may the   
more respect them2 and that the         
remonstrances  of the citizens1 founded1
 in future1 on simple and incontestible 
principles1 may always tend to support  
the constitution1 and to promote  the   
happiness of the whole community4'      
,some temporary business1 towards       
restoring public tranquillity1 and to   
give force to the laws1 insulted by the 
licentious conduct of men  inebriated   
merely by the expectation of freedom1   
scented from afar1  being dispatched1   
the formation of a constitution became  
the standing  labour of the assembly4   
,the first question naturally fell under
 this head--what share of power  ought  
the king to be allowed to possess in the
 legislature8 ,this was an  important   
consideration for men1 who were all     
politicians in theory2 and  many of     
whom1 having suffered under the absolute
 sway of the king's  ministers1 still   
felt the smart of their oppression1 and 

a contempt for  the power that          
authorized their dominion3 whilst the   
blind zealots for  the indefeasible     
rights of kings1 though they were       
ashamed of the  phrase1 heated the      
imagination of their party1 by the most 
inflated  encomiums on the benefits     
arising from extensive kingly           
prerogatives1  and vapid remarks on the 
british constitution1 and other forms of
  government1 obviously to display their
 erudition4 ,the most noisy  indecorus  
debates ensued1 and the assembly seemed 
to meet rather to  quarrel than         
deliberate4 ,a division the most decided
 consequently took  place2 which1 under 
different appellations1 and professing  
different  principles1 has ever since   
continued to convulse the senate2 if the
  legislative assembly1 or the          
convention1 deserve a name so dignified4
    ,in discussing whether the royal    
sanction should be necessary to the     
validity of the acts of the legislative 
body1 a variety of extraneous  subjects1

 and others prematurely brought forward1
 so entangled the main  question1 as to 
render it difficult to give a clear and 
brief account of  the debates2 without  
lending a degree of reasonableness to   
them1 that  the manner of arguing1      
rudely personal1 and loudly uncivil1    
seemed to  destroy4 ,for good lungs soon
 became more necessary in the assembly  
than  sound arguments1 to enable a      
speaker to silence the confusion of     
tongues2 and make known his opinion to  
men1 who were eager only to  announce   
their own4 ,thus modest men had no      
chance to be heard1 though  persuasion  
dwelt on their lips3 and even ,mirabeau1
 with his commanding  eloquence1 and    
justness of thought1 procured attention 
as much by the  thundering emphasis1    
which he gave to his periods1 as by his 
striking  and forcible association of   
ideas4    ,as a nation1 the french are  
certainly the most eloquent people in   
the  world2 their lively feelings giving
 the warmth of passion to every         

argument they attempt to support4 ,and  
speaking fluently1 vanity leads  them   
continually to endeavour to utter their 
sentiments1 without  considering whether
 they have any thing to recommend them  
to notice1  beside a happy choice of    
expressions4 ,only thinking then of     
speaking1  they are the most impatient  
of hearers1 coughing1 hemming1 and      
scraping  with their feet1 most audibly1
 to beguile the time4 ,laying aside     
also1  in the assembly1 not only their  
national politeness1 but the common     
restraints of civility2 good manners    
seldom supply the place of reason1  when
 they are angry4 ,and as the slightest  
contradiction sets them on  fire1 three 
parts out of four of the time1 which    
ought to have been  employed in serious 
investigation1 was consumed in idle     
vehemence4  ,whilst the applauses and   
hisses of the galleries increased the   
tumult2  making the vain still more     
eager to mount the stage4 ,thus every   
thing  contributing to excite the       

emotions1 which lead men only to court  
admiration1 the good of the people was  
too often sacrificed to the  desire of  
pleasing them4 ,and so completely was   
the tide of their  affection for the    
king turned1 that they seemed averse to 
his having any  portion of legislative  
authority in the new constitution4      
,the duke de ,liancourt divided the     
question respecting the share of power  
he was to enjoy as a part of the        
government4 #ast4 ,is the royal sanction
  indispensably necessary1 to give the  
actual force of law to the decrees  of  
the national assembly8 #b;dly4 ,ought   
the king to be an integrant  portion of 
the legislature8 ,in ,england the phrase
 royal assent has  been adopted1 as     
expressive of a positive act2 but the   
french1 rather  choosing to distinguish 
the same act of power by a negative1    
fixed on  the latin word veto1 ,i       
forbid4 ,and then it became a question1 
how  far this veto ought to extend1     
supposing the prince to be invested     

with it4--,was it decisively to obstruct
 the enaction of a law passed by  the   
legislative body8 or only to suspend it1
 till an appeal could be  made to the   
people by a new election8    ,the       
assembly in this instance seem to have  
acted with strange confusion  of mind1  
or a total ignorance of the nature of a 
mixed government3 for  either the       
question was nugatory1 or a king        
useless4 ,lally-,tolendal1  ,mounier1   
and ,mirabeau1 argued for the absolute  
veto4--#8,two powers1'  says ,mirabeau1 
#8are necessary to the existence of the 
body-politic1 in  the orderly discharge 
of it's functions3--,to will--and to    
act4 ,by the  first1 society establishes
 the regulations which ought all to     
conspire  to one end--the good of       
all3--,by the second1 these regulations 
are carried  into execution2 and public 
authority is exerted1 to make society   
triumph  over the obstacles1 which might
 arise from the opposite wills of       
individuals4 ,in a great nation1 these  

two powers cannot be exercised by  the  
people3 whence comes the necessity of   
representatives1 to exercise  the       
faculty of willing1 or the legislative  
power2 and also of another  species of  
representation1 to exercise the faculty 
of acting2 or1 the  executive power4'   
,he further insists1 that #8the         
possession of this power is the only way
  to render a king useful1 and to enable
 him to act as a check on the           
legislative body3 the majority of which 
might tyrannize in the most  despotic   
manner1 even in the senate1 to the very 
expulsion of the  members1 who dared to 
thwart the measures they could not      
approve4 ,for  under a weak prince1 a   
little time and address alone would be  
necessary1  to establish legally the    
dominion of an army of aristocrats2 who1
 making  the royal authority only the   
passive instrument of their will1 might 
replunge the people into their old state
 of debasement4    #8,the prince1       
therefore1 being the perpetual          

representative of the  people1 as the   
deputies are their representatives      
elected at certain  periods1 is equally 
their safe-guard4    #8,no person       
exclaims against the veto of the        
national assembly2 which  is1 in        
reality1 only a right the people have   
confided in their  representatives1 to  
oppose every proposition1 that would    
tend to  re-establish ministerial       
despotism4 ,why then object to the veto 
of the  prince1 which is but another    
right1 especially confided in him by the
  people1 because he and they are       
equally interested to prevent the       
establishment of an aristocracy8'    ,he
 proceeds to prove1 #8that1 whilst the  
legislative body is respectable1  the   
veto of the king cannot do harm1 though 
it is a salutary check on  their        
deliberations2 and granting1 that the   
influence of the crown has a  tendency  
to increase1 a permanent assembly would 
be a sufficient  counterpoise for the   
royal negative4 ,let us1' he concludes1 

#8have an  annual national assembly1 let
 ministers be made responsible2 and the 
royal sanction1 without any specified   
restrictions1 but1 in fact1  perfectly  
limited1 will be the palladium of       
national liberty1 and the  most precious
 exercise of the liberty of the people4'
    ,having suffered by the abuse of    
absolute power1 many of the deputies1   
afraid to entrust their constitutional  
monarchs with any1 opposed the  veto2   
lest it should palsy the operations of  
the national assembly1  and bring back  
the old despotism of the cabinet4 ,the  
discussion likewise  extending beyond   
it's walls1 was as superficially and as 
warmly treated  by those1 who thought   
only of the old government1 when they   
talked of  framing a new one4 ,and as   
the people were now led by hot-headed   
men1 who  found it the shortest way to  
popularity1 to deliver exaggerated      
elogiums  on liberty1 they began to look
 for a degree of freedom in their       
government1 incompatible with the       

present state of their manners2 and of  
which they had no perfect idea4 ,it is  
not then surprising1 that it  should    
become a mark of patriotism1 to oppose  
the veto2 though  ,mirabeau never gave a
 stronger proof of his1 than in         
supporting it2  convinced that it was   
the interest of the people he was       
espousing1  whilst he risked their      
favour4    ,the will of the public was1 
in reality1 so decided1 that they would 
scarcely allow the veto to be mentioned2
 and the assembly1 to steer a  middle   
course1 adopted the suspensive veto2    
after considering some  other important 
elements of the constitution1 which     
seemed to them to be  intimately        
connected with the royal prerogative4   
,certainly a few of the most judicious  
deputies must have perceived the        
impolicy of the suspensive veto2 and    
they could only have agreed to  fall    
into the measure1 under an idea that the
 minds of the people not  being         
completely ripe for a total change of   

government--from absolute  despotism to 
complete republicanism1 it was          
politically necessary still  to maintain
 the shadow of monarchy4 #8,to assign1' 
says one of the  deputies1 #8a term to  
the veto1 is at last to force the king  
to execute  a law of which he           
disapproves3 and making him thus a blind
 and passive  instrument1 a secret war  
is fomented between him and the national
  assembly4 ,it is1 in short1 to refuse 
him the veto2 though those who  refuse  
it have not the courage openly to say1  
that ,france has no longer  any need of 
a king4'    ,but1 from the commencement 
of the revolution1 the misery of ,france
 has  originated from the folly or art  
of men1 who have spurred the people on  
too fast2 tearing up prejudices by the  
root1 which they should have  permitted 
to die gradually away4 ,had they1 for   
example1 allowed the king  to have      
enjoyed the share in the government     
promised by the absolute  veto1 they    
would have let him gently down from the 

altitude of  unlimited sway1 without    
making him feel the ground he lost in   
the  descent4 ,and this semblance of his
 former authority would have gratified  
him2 or rather1 breaking his fall1 have 
induced him to submit patiently  to     
other restraints1 less humiliating to   
him1 though more beneficial to  the     
people4 ,for it is evident from         
experience1 and might have been         
foreseen1 that the determination on this
 question was one grand source  of the  
continual bickerings of the assembly    
with the court and ministry2  who took  
care to make the king see1 that he was  
set up as an idol1  merely to receive   
the mock respect of the legislative     
body1 till they  were quite sure of the 
people4    ,could it1 indeed1 have been 
ascertained1 that ,louis1 or rather the 
queen1 would have tamely born with such 
a diminution of power1 this  measure    
might have been deemed prudent2 because 
it was then morally  certain1 that the  
monarchy would have expired naturally   

with the  dissolution of the king4 ,but1
 when the pride and restless spirit of  
the  queen were well known2 and that it 
was probable1 from the whole tenour  of 
her former life1 she would contrive to  
have the ministry composed of  the most 
dissolute and headstrong men2 it must   
appear the height of  folly only to have
 left the king the power of perplexing  
their  proceedings1 after they had      
piqued his pride4 ,and when1 to give1 as
 it  were1 efficiency to the            
conspiracies1 which would naturally be  
formed by  the courtiers1 to recover the
 authority rest from them1 we find they 
afterwards voted such an enormous sum to
 defray the civil list1 as was          
sufficient to move like puppets hundreds
 of the corrupt french2 it must  be     
confessed1 that their absurdity and want
 of discernment appear not  less        
reprehensible1 than the subsequent      
conduct of the court flagitious4    ,the
 constitutional committee had given it  
as their opinion1 that the  contested   

veto did not concern the national       
assembly then existing2  which1 being a 
constituting body1 it was their duty to 
see that the  constitution was accepted1
 not sanctioned4 ,this report carries   
with it  an air of imbecility1 which    
renders it almost incredible3 for1 if   
the  assembly were determined to oblige 
the king to accept their decrees1  they 
had better have told him so with        
becoming dignity1 and made  provision   
for his retiring from a post in which he
 was useless4 ,instead  of this1 he was 
in a manner shuffled off the throne2 and
 treated with  cruelty as well as       
contempt4 ,it would have been at least  
ingenuous1 and  might be deemed         
magnanimous1 had they allowed him to    
retire with a third  of the stipend1    
which they afterwards voted him1 when he
 continued to  appear like a theatrical 
king1 only to excite the pity of the    
vulgar1  and to serve as a pretext for  
the despots of ,europe to urge in       
justification of their interference4    

,the liberating an imprisoned  monarch  
was a plausible motive1 though the real 
one was obviously to  stop the progress 
of principles1 which1 once permitted to 
extend  themselves1 would ultimately sap
 the foundation of their tyranny1 and   
overturn all the courts in ,europe4     
,pretending then only to have in view   
the restoration of order in ,france1 and
 to free an injured king1 they  aimed at
 crushing the infant brood of liberty4  
,similar sentiments must have occurred  
to every thinking person1 who ever      
seriously reflected on the conduct of   
the germanic courts1 which has  actually
 destroyed the tranquillity of ,europe  
for centuries past4 ,war is  the natural
 consequence of their wretched systems  
of government4--,they  are supported by 
military legions2 and without wars they 
could not have  veteran soldiers4 ,their
 aggrandisement then1 and half-lived    
pleasures1  cast in a mould of ceremony1
 spring out of the miseries1 and are    
fostered by the blood of human beings2  

whom they have sacrificed with as  much 
sang froid1 sending them in herds to    
slaughter1 as the  hard-hearted savage  
romans viewed the horrid spectacle of   
their  prize-fighters2 from the bare    
idea of which the mind turns1 disgusted 
with the whole empire1 and particularly 
with the government that dared  to boast
 of it's heroism and respect for        
justice1 when not only  tolerating1 but 
encouraging such enormities4    ,to the 
sympathizing princes of the continent1  
therefore1 the king should  have been   
given up2 or1 if it were necessary to   
humour the prejudice of  the nation1 and
 still suffer frenchmen to have a most  
christian king1 or  grand monarque1 to  
amuse them by devouring capons or       
partridges before  them2 it would have  
been but just1 both in reason and       
policy1 to have  allowed him such a     
portion of liberty and power1 as would  
have formed a  consistent government4   
,this would have prevented those        
clamours1 which  were sure to draw      

together an host of enemies1 to impede  
the settlement  of rational laws2       
flowing from a constitution1 that would 
peaceably have  undermined despotism1   
had it been allowed gradually to change 
the  manners of the people4 ,though had 
this power been granted1 it might have  
been productive perhaps of great        
inconveniences2 as it is not likely1    
that a court accustomed to exercise     
unbridled sway would contentedly  have  
co-operated with the legislature1 when  
possessing only reasonable              
prerogatives4    ,some apprehensions of 
this kind may have occurred to the      
assembly3  though it rather appears1    
that they were either influenced by a   
ridiculous pride1 not being willing to  
take the british constitution1 so  far  
as it respected the prerogative1 for    
their model2 or intimidated by  the     
people1 who1 during the long debate1 had
 outrageously expressed  their will1 and
 even handed about a list of            
proscriptions1 in which the  vetoists   

were denounced as traitors worthy of    
death4 ,be this as it  may1 they        
determined on a half-way measure1 that  
irritated the court  without appeasing  
the people4 ,having previously decreed1 
that the  national assembly should be   
permanent1 that is always existing1     
instead  of being dissolved at the close
 of every session1 they resolved1 that  
the veto of the king should suspend the 
enaction of a law only during  two      
legislatures4 #8,the wisdom of this     
law1' says ,rabaud1 #8was  universally  
acknowledged3' though the folly of it   
rather merited  universal reprobation4  
,from the manner indeed1 in which the   
assembly was constituted1 it was to  be 
dreaded1 that it's members would not    
long sustain the dignity1 with  which   
they commenced the career of their      
business3 because the party1  that      
opposed with such bitterness the        
junction of the three orders1  still    
opposing with rancorous heat1 and wily  
stratagems1 every measure  proposed by  

the really patriotic members1 were      
indirectly seconded by  the insincere   
and wavering2 who1 having no motive to  
govern their  conduct1 but the most     
detestable selfishness1 the offspring of
 vanity or  avarice1 always took the    
side best calculated to gratify the     
crude  wishes of the multitude4 ,and    
this unyoked multitude1 now suddenly    
initiated into the science of civil and 
natural rights1 all become  consummate  
politicians1 began to control the       
decisions of a divided  assembly1       
rendered timid by intestine broils4     
,there were besides many circumstances1 
which tended to make any attempt  to    
counteract this influence very          
difficult4 ,at the meeting of the       
states-general1 the whole court party1  
with the greater proportion of  both the
 nobility and clergy1 were in opposition
 to the third-estate3  and though the   
number of the latter was equal to that  
of the other two  orders1 they had also 
to contend with the inveterate          

prejudices of ages4  ,the court had     
thought only of devising means to crush 
them2 and had the  soldiery acted with  
the blind zeal common to men of this    
profession1 it  would of itself have    
been sufficient to have completely      
disconcerted  their views4 ,this conduct
 of the cabinet1 and the discovery of   
the  atrocious conspiracy1 which had    
been formed against the people and their
  idolized representatives1 provoking   
the resentment and vengeance of the     
nation1 palsied all authority1 and      
rendered the laws that had emanated     
from it contemptible4 ,to oppose this   
torrent of opinions1 like an  impetuous 
current1 that after heavy rains1 defying
 all resistance1 bears  away on it's    
raging bosom every obstacle1 required   
the most enlightened  prudence and      
determined resolution4    ,so much      
wisdom and firmness seldom fall to the  
lot of any country3 and  it could       
scarcely have been expected from the    
depraved and volatile  french2 who      

proudly1 or ignorantly1 determining to  
follow no political  track1 seem to have
 fixed on a system proper only for a    
people in the  highest stage of         
civilization2--a system of itself       
calculated to  disorganize the          
government1 and throw embarrassments    
into all it's  operations4 ,this was an 
errour so gross1 as to demand the       
severest  animadversions4 ,for this     
political plan1 ever considered as      
utopian by  all men who had not traced  
the progress of reason1 or calculated   
the  degree of perfectibility the human 
faculties are capable of attaining1     
was1 it might be presumed1 the most     
improper for the degenerate society  of 
,france4 ,the exertions of the very     
admirers of the revolution were1        
likewise1 far from being permanent2 and 
they could hardly have been  expected to
 possess sufficient virtue to support a 
government1 the  duration of which they 
at least feared would be short4 ,the men
 termed  experienced believed it        

physically impossible2 and no arguments 
were  cogent enough to convince them of 
the contrary3 so that1 they leaving  the
 task to mock patriots and enthusiasts1 
a fresh odium has been thrown  on       
principles1 which1 notwithstanding are  
gaining ground4 ,things must be  left to
 their natural course2 and the          
accelerating progress of truth  promises
 to demonstrate1 what no arguments have 
hitherto been able to  prove4    ,the   
foundation of liberty was laid in the   
declaration of rights2 the  first three 
articles of which contain the great     
principles of natural1  political1 and  
civil liberty4--,first1 that men are    
born1 and always  continue1 free1 and   
equal in respect to their rights3--civil
  distinctions1 therefore1 can be       
founded only on public utility4         
,secondly1 the end of all political     
associations is the preservation of  the
 natural and imprescriptible rights of  
man3 which rights are--liberty1         
property1 security1 and resistance of   

oppression4 ,thirdly1 the nation is  the
 source of all sovereignty3 no body of  
men1 no individual1 can then  be        
entitled to any authority1 which is not 
derived from it4 ,the first  article1   
establishing the equality of man1       
strikes at the root of all  useless     
distinctions3--the second1 securing his 
rights against  oppression1 maintains   
his dignity3--and the third1            
acknowledging the  sovereignty of the   
nation1 confirms the authority of the   
people4--,these  are the essential      
points of a good government3 and it is  
only necessary1  when these points are  
ascertained by a nation1 and solemnly   
ratified in  the hearts of it's         
citizens1 to take care1 in the formation
 of a  political system1 to provide     
against the abuse of the executive part2
  whilst equal caution should be        
observed1 not to destroy it's           
efficiency1  as on that depend it's     
justice1 vigour1 and promptitude4 ,the  
other  articles are explanatory of the  

nature and intent of these rights1 and  
ought to have had more attention paid to
 them1 when the structure was  raised1  
to which they served as a basis4        
,whilst defining the authority of the   
king1 or rather determining1 that  he   
should have no authority1 unless the    
option of disturbing the  legislation   
deserve that name1 they debated the     
question of two chambers  with equal    
inconsideration1 and all the puerile    
self-sufficiency of  ignorance4 ,the    
opposers of two chambers1 without       
allowing1 that there  was any political 
wisdom in appointing one house of       
representatives to  reconsider the      
resolves of the other1 ridiculed the    
idea of a balance of  power1 and        
instanced the abuses of the english     
government to give force  to their      
objections4 ,at the same time fearing1  
that the nobles of the  court would     
contend for an hereditary senate1       
similar to the british  house of peers2 
or1 at least1 for a seat during life1   

paramount to the  representatives who   
they determined should be elected every 
two years2  they fought to bring the    
business to a speedy issue4 ,the very   
division  of the nobility served to     
hasten it1 and strengthened the         
arguments of  the popular members2 who  
finding that they could rely on the     
concurrence  of the parish-priests1     
whose wishes in favour of the unity of  
the  assembly were quickly betrayed by  
the opinions of their leading orators1  
demanded the decision of a question1    
that had been agitated in the most      
tumultuous manner4    ,mirabeau wished  
to prove1 that the decision of the      
question respecting  the permanency of  
the assembly had prejudged that of the  
two chambers2  and the plan of a senate1
 proposed by the constitutional         
committee1 only  excited fresh          
apprehensions1 that the ancient hydra   
would again rear  it's head4 ,they      
represented this senate as the cradle of
 a new  aristocracy2 as a dangerous     

counterpoise to popular violence1       
because it  would still foster the      
prejudices1 which produced inequalities 
amongst  men1 and give continual play to
 the overbearing passions1 that had     
hitherto degraded mankind4 ,and to show 
previously their entire                 
disinterestedness1 as well as fear of   
allowing the exercise of power to       
become familiar1 much less necessary to 
any members of the community1  they     
unanimously voted1 that for each        
legislature1 the name given to the      
meeting of the representatives1 a total 
change of the deputies should  take     
place4    ,the very nobility1 in fact1  
were far from being united in support of
 two  chambers4 ,the order was a        
numerous one3 and to establish an       
equality of  privileges1 it was         
necessary1 that they should all concur  
to elect the  upper chamber1 as the     
representatives of the whole body2      
whilst the  nobles of the court1 and of 
the ancient houses1 secretly indulged   

the  hope of establishing a peerage2    
which would not only raise them above   
the commons1 but keep at a proper       
distance the upstart nobility1 with     
whom they had heretofore impatiently    
jostled4 ,there was even another  cause 
of jealousy3 for it was presumed1 that  
the forty-seven nobles1 who  first      
joined the assembly1 would now be       
rewarded4 ,in short1 the idle  fears and
 more contemptible vanity of the        
different parties now operated  so much 
in favour of an indivisible senate1 that
 the question was  decided by a great   
majority1 to the entire satisfaction of 
the public1  who were almost as eager   
for one chamber1 as averse to the veto4 
,the deputies1 who opposed the upper    
chamber to promote the good of  society1
 did it from a belief1 that it would be 
the asylum of a new  aristocracy2 and   
from a total ignorance1 or obscurity of 
ideas1  respecting it's utility4 ,whilst
 the oppressions of the feudal system   
being still present to the minds of the 

people1 they considered a  division of  
the legislative body as inconsistent    
with the freedom and  equality they were
 taught to expect as the prime blessings
 of a new  constitution4 ,the very      
mention of two chambers carried them    
back to  the old dispute1 respecting the
 negative of the different orders2 and  
seemed to subvert the revolution4 ,such 
fears1 degenerating into  weakness1 can 
only be accounted for by recollecting   
the many cruel  thraldoms1 from which   
they had so recently escaped4 ,besides1 
the  remembrance of their former        
servitude1 and the resentment excited by
 the  late struggle to prove they were  
men1 created in their enthusiastic      
imaginations such a multitude of        
horrours1 and fantastic images of new   
dangers1 as did not allow them to       
exercise the full powers of their       
reason4 ,so that to convince them of the
 propriety of a new institution1  and   
heat the supporters of it1 nothing more 
was necessary1 than to show1  that it   

was the very reverse of those maintained
 by the partizans of the  old           
government4    ,the wisdom of giving to 
the executive part of a government an   
absolute  veto might very justly have   
been questioned2 as it seems to be      
giving  a power to one man to counteract
 the will of a whole people--an         
absurdity  too gross to merit           
refutation4 ,still1 whilst crowns are a 
necessary  bauble to please the         
multitude1 it is also necessary1 that   
their  dignity1 should be supported1 in 
order to prevent an overweening         
aristocracy from concentrating all      
authority in themselves4 ,this seems  to
 have been expedient1 likewise1 as long 
as the manners of barbarians  remained3 
as savages are naturally pleased with   
glass and beads1 in  proportion as they 
afford a striking contrast to the rude  
materials of  their own fabrication4    
,in the progressive influence of        
knowledge on manners1 both dress and    
governments appear to be acquiring      

simplicity2 it may therefore be         
inferred1 that1 as the people attain    
dignity of character1 their  amusements 
will flow from a more rational source   
than the pageantry of  kings1 or the    
view of the fopperies exhibited at      
courts4 ,if these have  been supported  
hitherto by childish ignorance1 they    
seem to be losing  their influence1 as  
the understanding of the world          
approaches to  manhood3 for1 as they    
grow wiser1 the people will look for the
 solid  advantages of society2 and      
watching with sufficient vigilance their
 own  interest1 the veto of the         
executive branch of the government would
  become perfectly useless2 though in   
the hands of an unprincipled1 bold      
chief magistrate1 it might prove a      
dangerous instrument4 ,in forming a     
representative plan of government it    
appears necessary then to take care     
only1 that it be so constructed1 as to  
prevent hasty decisions2 or the         
carrying into laws dangerous1 impolitic 

measures1 which have been urged  by     
popular declaimers1 who are too apt to  
gain an ascendancy in a  numerous       
assembly4 ,until the principles of      
governments become  simplified1 and a   
knowledge of them be disseminated1 it is
 to be feared1  that popular assemblies 
will often be influenced by the         
fascinating  charms of eloquence3 and as
 it is possible for a man to be eloquent
  without being either wise or virtuous1
 it is but a common precaution of       
prudence in the framers of a            
constitution1 to provide some check to  
the  evil4    ,besides1 it is very      
probable1 in the same state of reason1  
that a  faction may arise1 which will   
control the assembly2 and1 acting       
contrary  to the dictates of wisdom1    
throw the state into the most dangerous 
convulsions of anarchy3 consequently1 it
 ought to form a primary object  with a 
constituting assembly1 to prevent1 by   
some salutary contrivance1  the mischief
 flowing from such sources4 ,the obvious

 preventative is a  second chamber1 or  
senate1 which would not1 it is most     
likely1 be under  the influence of the  
same faction2 and it is at least        
certain1 that it's  decisions would not 
be directed by the same orators4 ,the   
advantage would  be more certain if     
business were not conducted in the two  
chambers in a  similar manner4 ,thus by 
making the most numerous assembly the   
most  active1 the other would have more 
time to weigh the probable consequence  
of any act or decree1 which would       
prevent those inconveniences2 or1 at    
least1 many of them1 the consequence of 
haste or faction4    ,this system in an 
old government is susceptible of        
improvement4 ,the  minds of young men   
generally having more fire1 activity1   
and invention1  it would be politically 
wise to restrict the age of the senators
 to  thirty-five1 or forty years2 at    
which period of life they most likely   
would have gone through a certain       
routine of business2 and become more    

sage1 and steady1 they would be better  
calculated to decide respecting  the    
policy1 or wisdom of the acts of the    
chamber of representatives4    ,it is   
true ,france was in such a state at the 
time of the revolution1  that a like    
improvement could not have been         
instantly carried into  execution1      
because the aristocratical influence was
 justly to be  dreaded4 ,the            
constituting assembly then should have  
remained  indivisible2 and as the       
members became in some measure          
acquainted with  legislative business1  
they would have prepared senators for   
the upper  chamber4 ,all the future     
legislatures being divided into two     
chambers1 a  house of representatives1  
and a senate1 the members of the        
national  assembly might have been      
permitted to be elected for the senate1 
though  they should not have attained   
the age prescribed2 for the restriction 
needed not to have taken place until the
 government found it's level1  and even 

then1 the members of the preceding house
 of representatives  might have been    
allowed to be returned for the senate4  
,it has been a common remark of         
moralists1 that we are the least        
acquainted with our own characters4     
,this has been literally the case  with 
the french3 for certainly no people     
stand in such great need of a  check2   
and1 totally destitute of experience in 
political science1 it  must have been   
clear to all men of sound understanding1
 that some such  plan alone would have  
enabled them to avoid many fatal        
errours4    ,the first efforts of the   
national assembly were truly            
magnanimous2 but  the character of the  
men was too light1 to maintain the same 
heroism1  when not warmed by            
passion--too giddy1 to support with     
grave dignity the  splendour of sudden  
glory4 ,their vanity was also unbounded2
 and their  false estimate of           
disinterestedness of conduct1 whilst    
they betrayed  puerility of sentiment1  

was not among the least of the          
misfortunes1  which have befallen that  
unhappy country4 ,their hearts had been 
too long  sophisticated1 to suggest the 
best mode of communicating freedom to   
millions2 and their heads were still    
less calculated to lay down a           
practicable plan of government1 adapted 
to the state of knowledge of the  age4  
,so much so1 that they seem to have     
selected from books only the            
regulations proper for a period of      
perfect civilization4    ,the           
revolutions of states ought to be       
gradual2 for during violent or  material
 changes it is not so much the wisdom of
 measures1 as the  popularity they      
acquire by being adapted to the foibles 
of the great  body of the community1    
which gives them success4--,men are most
 easily led  away by the ingenious      
arguments1 that dwell on the equality of
 man1 and  these are always employed by 
the different leaders of popular        
governments4    ,whilst the most        

ingenious theorists1 or desperate       
partizans of the  people1 take advantage
 of this infirmity of our nature1 the   
consequences  must sometimes prove      
destructive to society1 is they do not  
end in the  most dreadful anarchy4 ,for 
when the members of a state are not     
directed  by practical knowledge1 every 
one produces a plan of polity1 till the 
confusion becomes general1 and the      
nation plunges into wretchedness1       
pursuing the schemes of those           
philosophers of genius who1 advancing   
before their age1 have sketched the     
model of a perfect system of            
government4 ,thus it happened in        
,france1 that ,hume's idea of a perfect 
commonwealth1 the adoption of which     
would be eligible only when             
civilization has arrived at a much      
greater degree of perfection1 and       
knowledge is more generally diffused    
than at the present period1 was         
nevertheless chosen as the model of     
their new government1 with a few        

exceptions1 by the constituent assembly3
 which choice doubtless  proceeded from 
the members not having had an           
opportunity to acquire a  knowledge of  
practical liberty4 ,some of the members1
 it is true1 alluded  to the            
improvements made by the americans on   
the plan of the english  constitution2  
but the great majority1 despising       
experience1 were for  forming1 at once1 
a system much more perfect4 ,and this   
self-sufficiency  has produced those    
dreadful outrages1 and attacks1 made by 
the  anarchists of that country1 on     
personal liberty1 property1 and whatever
  else society holds sacred4    ,these  
melancholy considerations seem to me to 
afford irrefragable  arguments1 to prove
 that it is necessary for all           
governments1 which have  for their      
object the happiness of the people1 to  
make the power of  altering peaceably a 
fundamental principle of their          
constitution4    ,still1 if the attempt 
to carry prematurely into execution the 

sublime  theory1 which has occupied some
 of the best heads to form1 have        
afforded  an opportunity to superficial 
politicians1 to condemn it as absurd and
  chimerical1 because it has not been   
attended with immediate success1 the    
advocates for the extension of truth and
 reason ought not to despair4  ,for when
 we contemplate the slow improvement1   
that has been made in the  science of   
government2 and1 that even the system of
 the british  constitution was          
considered1 by some of the most         
enlightened ancients1  as the sublimest 
theory the human mind was able to       
conceive1 though not  reducible to      
practice1 they should not relax in their
 endeavours to  bring to maturity a     
polity more simple--which promises more 
equal  freedom1 and general happiness to
 mankind4                               
,,chapter ,,ii4    ,,observations ,,on  
,,the ,,veto4 ,,the ,,women ,,offer ,,up
 ,,their ,,ornaments ,,to ,,the         
,,public4 ,,debate ,,whether ,,the      

,,spanish ,,branch ,,of ,,the ,,bourbons
 ,,could ,,reign ,,in    ,,france4      
,,conduct ,,of ,,the ,,king ,,respecting
 ,,the ,,decrees ,,of ,,the ,,fourth    
,,of  ,,august4 ,,vanity ,,of ,,the     
,,french4 ,,debates ,,on ,,quartering ,a
 ,,thousand ,,regulars   ,,at           
,,versailles4 ,,individuals ,,offer     
,,their ,,jewels ,,and ,,plate ,,to     
,,make ,,up ,,the  ,,deficiency ,,of    
,,the ,,loan4 ,,the ,,king ,,sends ,,his
 ,,rich ,,service ,,of ,,plate ,,to     
,,the    ,,mint4 ,,necker',s ,,proposal 
,,for ,,every ,,citizen ,,to ,,give ,,up
 ,a ,,fourth ,,of ,,his        ,,income4
 ,,speech ,,of ,,mirabeau ,,on ,,it4    
,,his ,,address ,,to ,,the ,,nation4    
,after the national assembly had        
determined1 that the legislative body   
should consist of one house1 to be      
renewed every two years1 they appear  to
 have had some suspicion of the impolicy
 of the decree2 but not  allowing       
themselves time to comprehend the use of
 a senate taken from  the body of the   

people1 they attempted to silence the   
fears1 some  moderate men entertained1  
of the bad consequences which might     
arise from  the decisions of an         
impetuous assembly without a check1 by  
assuring  them1 that the delay1 the veto
 would occasion1 was a sufficient       
counterpoise4 ,they represented the     
king's veto as the negative  archetype  
of the national will2 adding1 that it   
would be the duty of the  sovereign to  
examine with vigilance the justice or   
wisdom of their  decrees2 and by the    
exertion of his power prevent the hasty 
establishment of any laws inimical to   
the public good4 ,so easy is it for  men
 to frame arguments1 to cover the homely
 features of their own  folly--so       
dangerous is it to follow a refined     
theory1 however feasible it  may appear1
 when the happiness of an empire depends
 on it's success2 and  so               
inconsiderately did the national        
assembly act in this great business1    
that they did not wait even to determine

 the precise meaning of the word        
sanction4    ,if the king then          
represented the negative will of the    
nation1 which the  assembly pretended to
 say he did2 and if he possessed the    
supreme wisdom  and moderation necessary
 to guaranty that will1 which supposing 
he did  not1 it was a folly too gross to
 require any comment2 in the name of    
common sense--why was his veto          
suspensive8    ,the truth is            
obvious1--the assembly had not          
sufficient courage to take a  decided   
part4--,they knew1 that the king and    
court could not be depended  upon2 yet  
they had not the magnanimity to give    
them up altogether4 ,they  justly       
dreaded the depravity and influence of  
the nobles2 but they had  not the       
sagacity to model the government in such
 a manner1 as would have  defeated their
 future conspiracies1 and rendered their
 power nugatory2  though they had the   
example of the ,thirteen ,states of     
,america before  them1 from which they  

had drawn what little practical         
knowledge of  liberty they              
possessed4--,but1 no2 the regeneration  
of ,france must lead to  the            
regeneration of the whole globe4 ,the   
political system of frenchmen  must     
serve as a model for all the free states
 in the universe6--,vive la  libert was 
the only cry--and la bagatelle entered  
into every  debate--whilst the whole    
nation1 wild with joy1 was hailing the  
commencement of the golden age4    ,the 
women too1 not to be outdone by the     
roman dames1 came forward1  during this 
discussion1 to sacrifice their ornaments
 for the good of  their country4 ,and   
this fresh example of public spirit was 
also given by  the third-estate2 for    
they were the wives and daughters of    
artizans1 who  first renounced their    
female pride--or rather made one kind of
 vanity  take place of another4         
,however1 the offering was made with    
theatrical  grace2 and the lively       
applauses of the assembly were          

reiterated with  great gallantry4       
,another interruption had likewise      
occurred1 of a more serious             
nature4--,for after they had decreed1   
with an unanimous voice--,that the      
person of the king is sacred and        
inviolable1 that the throne is          
indivisible2 that the crown is          
hereditary1 in the males of the         
reigning family1 according to the order 
of primogeniture1 to the  perpetual     
exclusion of females1 a deputy proposed1
 that1 before going  any further1 they  
should decide #8whether the branch      
reigning in ,spain  could reign in      
,france1 though it had renounced the    
crown of the latter  kingdom by the most
 authentic treaties4'    ,several of the
 most respectable members represented1  
that this was a  delicate business1 with
 which it was impolitic to meddle at    
present1 and  as unnecessary as         
imprudent4 ,mirabeau was of this        
opinion2 but when he  found1 that much  
time was likely to be consumed in idle  

debates1 and  contemptible vehemence1 he
 endeavoured to cut the matter short by 
moving  a new question--namely1 #8that  
no one could reign in ,france1 who was  
not  born in the kingdom4'    ,but      
nothing could prevent the agitation of  
the same subject for three  days2       
prolonged either by the fears of one    
party1 or the desire of  another to     
embroil the assembly1 and retard the    
formation of a  constitution4 ,mirabeau 
made several severe1 but just remarks1  
on the  character of ,louis ,,xiv1 whose
 ambition had produced the dispute2 and 
reprobated with dignity1 their manner of
 treating a people1 as if they  were the
 property of a chief4 ,should any       
difficulty arise1 in future1 he         
maintained1 that the nation would then  
be competent to judge of it2 and  had an
 equal right to determine the           
succession1 as to choose a new  system  
of government4    ,the assembly1 though 
generally so inattentive to the         
suggestions of  sound policy1 despising 

moderation1 became now beyond measure   
scrupulous4 ,some deputies represented  
the danger of alienating to the  english
 the commerce of ,spain1 by disgusting  
it's court2 and others  anticipated the 
intestine troubles1 which a doubt       
respecting the  unchangeable descent of 
the crown might produce4 ,at last they  
resolved  to add to the declaration1    
respecting the monarchy1 that they did  
not  mean to make the decree1 by any    
means prejudge the effect of            
renunciations4    ,whilst they were     
settling these things in the assembly1  
the refractory  nobles and clergy were  
intriguing to prevent the king from     
giving his  assent to the promulgation  
of the decrees of the #dth of august4   
,the  royal sanction had been demanded  
before the import of the word was       
scanned2 and the court taking advantage 
of this ambiguity1 made the king        
pretend he misunderstood the demand2 and
 imagined that they merely asked  for   
his opinion1 and not to know his will4  

,instead then of a simple  monosyllable1
 he replied by a memoire4 ,he approved1 
in general1 of the  spirit of these     
determinations2 but entered into an     
investigation1 more  or less copious1 of
 every article4 ,he weighed the         
advantages and  inconveniences2 and     
pointed out precautions and             
modifications1 which  appeared to him   
necessary to realize the former and     
prevent the latter4  ,he objected       
particularly to the abolition of some   
rents2 which1 though  substitutes for   
personal service1 were now actual       
property2 he suggested  some difficulty 
that might attend the abolition of      
tithes2 and hinted1  that the german    
princes1 who had possessions in ,alsace1
 secured to them  by treaty1 might      
resent the infringement4 ,in answer to  
the last  objection1 a member observed1 
that the inhabitants of this province1  
who  had long been sinking under the    
weight of these privileges1 daily       
augmented by the connivance of          

ministers1 had inserted an article in   
their instructions expressly demanding  
the abolition of this destructive       
system2 which reduced them to despair1  
and forced them continually to          
emigrate4 ,several of the deputies      
wished to have the king's reply         
referred to the examination of a        
committee2 yet1 a great majority        
insisting1 that the decrees of the #dth 
of august were not new laws1 to  be     
carried into force by the executive     
power1 but abuses which it was          
absolutely necessary to clear away      
before the formation of the             
constitution1 demanded their immediate  
promulgation4 ,accordingly they         
resolved1 that the president should wait
 on the king and request him            
immediately to order the promulgation of
 the decrees2 assuring him at  the same 
time1 that the national assembly1 when  
considering each article  separately1   
would pay the most scrupulous attention 
to the observations  communicated by his

 majesty4    ,this imperative petition  
had the desired effect1 and the king    
acceded1  the #bjth of september1 to    
their will1 sanctioning decrees he did  
not  approve4    ,this was the first    
glaring instance of the constituting    
assembly acting  contrary to it's       
pretensions2 and the king1 long in the  
habit of  dissembling1 always yielding  
to the pressure of remonstrances1 no    
matter  from what quarter they came1    
with criminal insincerity acknowledging 
himself a cipher1 laid the foundation of
 his own insignificancy1 by  ordering   
the promulgation of decrees1 which he   
believed were  incompatible with        
justice1 and might involve the french   
monarchy in  disagreeable disputes with 
foreign princes1 when peace was         
particularly  necessary to calm it's    
internal convulsions4    ,if a chief    
magistrate be of any consequence to a   
state1 his wisdom ought  to appear in   
the dignity and firmness of his         
actions4--,but1 if he be  considered as 

the fountain of justice and honour1 and 
do not possess the  abilities and       
magnanimity of a common man1 in what a  
wretched light must  he be viewed by the
 eyes of discernment and common         
sense8--,and1 if the  framers of a      
constitution create a power that must   
continually act at  variance with       
itself1 they not only undermine the     
pillars of their own  fabric1 but they  
insert the scion of a disease the most  
destructive to  truth and morals4       
,after complying with this compulsatory 
request1 ,louis1 who1 finding that  he  
was left without any share of power1    
seems to have thought very  little of   
his suspensive veto1 determined to play 
a part that would  give an air of       
sincerity to his present conduct1 whilst
 his object was  secretly to favour the 
efforts of the counter-revolutionists2  
and if  possible effect his own         
escape4--,but1 in the mean time1 he     
endeavoured to  make such use of it as  
might prevent the total derangement of  

the old  system1 without unveiling his  
secret views1 and intentions4 ,it is    
difficult to determine which was the    
most reprehensible1 the folly of  the   
assembly1 or the duplicity of the king4 
,if ,louis were without  character1 and 
controlled by a court without virtue1 it
 amounted to a  demonstration1 that     
every insidious mean would be employed  
by the  courtiers to reinstate the old  
government2 and recover1 if possible1   
their former splendour and voluptuous   
ease4 ,for1 though they were  dispersed1
 it was notorious to all ,france1 nay1  
to all ,europe1 that a  constant        
correspondence was kept up between the  
different parties1 and  their projects  
concerted by one of the most intriguing 
of disappointed  men#cj4 ,it was        
obvious1 therefore1 to ,mirabeau1 that  
the king ought to  be gained over to the
 side of the people2 and made to        
consider himself  as their benefactor1  
in order to detach him from the cabal4  
,but in this  respect he was            

unfortunately over-ruled4 ,this mixture 
of magnanimity1  and timidity1 of wisdom
 and headstrong folly1 displayed by the 
assembly1  appears1 at the first view1  
to involve such a contradiction1 that   
every  person unacquainted with the     
french character would be ready to call 
in  question the truth of those         
undeniable facts1 which crowd on the    
heels  of each other during the progress
 of the great events1 that formed the   
revolution4 ,a superficial glance over  
the circumstances1 will not enable  us  
to account for an inconsistency1 which  
borders on improbability4--,we  must1 on
 the contrary1 ever keep in our         
thoughts1 that1 whilst they were        
directed in their political plans1 by a 
wild1 half comprehended theory1  their  
sentiments were still governed by the   
old chivalrous sense of  honour1 which  
diffusing a degree of romantic heroism  
into all their  actions1 a false        
magnanimity would not permit them to    
question the  veracity of a man1 on whom

 they believed they were conferring     
favours2  and for whom they certainly   
made great allowance1 if they did not   
forgive him for countenancing plots1    
which tended to undermine their         
favourite system4    ,it is1 perhaps1   
the characteristic of vanity1 to become 
enamoured with  ideas1 in proportion as 
they were remote from it's conception1  
until  brought to the mind by causes so 
natural1 as to induce it to believe1    
that they are the happy and spontaneous 
flow of it's own prolific brain4  ,their
 splendour then eclipsing his judgment1 
the man is hurried on by  enthusiasm and
 self-sufficiency1 like a ship at sea1  
without ballast or  helm1 by every      
breath of wind3 and1 to carry the       
comparison still  further1 should a     
tempest chance to rise in the state1 he 
is swallowed  up in the whirlpools of   
confusion1 into the very midst of which 
his  conceit has plunged him2 as the    
vessel1 that was not prepared to stem   
the violence of a hurricane1 is buried  

in the raging surge4    ,the occasions  
of remarking1 that frenchmen are the    
vainest men living1  often occur1 and   
here it must be insisted on2 for no     
sooner had they  taken possession of    
certain philosophical truths1 persuading
 themselves1  that the world was        
indebted to them for the discovery1 than
 they seem to  have overlooked every    
other consideration1 but their adoption4
 ,much evil  has been the consequence2  
yet ,france is certainly highly indebted
 to the  national assembly for          
establishing many constitutional        
principles of  liberty1 which must      
greatly accelerate the improvement of   
the public  mind1 and ultimately produce
 the perfect government1 that they      
vainly  endeavoured to construct        
immediately with such fatal             
precipitation4    ,the consideration of 
several other articles of the           
constitution was  continually           
interrupted1 and not more by the variety
 of business1 which  came under the     

cognizance of the assembly1 than by the 
want of a proper  arrangement of them4  
,much time was lost in disputing about  
the choice of  subjects of deliberation2
 and the order in which they ought to   
proceed4  ,the business of the day was  
perpetually obliged to give place to    
episodical scenes2 and men1 who came    
prepared to discuss one question1  being
 obliged to turn to another1 lost in    
some measure the benefit of  reflection1
 and the energy1 so different from the  
enthusiasm of the  moment1 with which a 
man supports a well digested opinion4   
,two or three slight debates had arisen 
on the subject of quartering a  thousand
 men1 of the regular troops1 at         
,versailles4 ,the commandant of  the    
guards had requested permission of the  
municipality2 pointing out  the         
necessity for the security of the town1 
the national assembly1 and  the person  
of the king4 ,the necessity did not     
appear so obvious to the  public1 and1  
in fact1 the demand seemed calculated to

 provoke the  tumults1 against which    
they were so officiously guarding4      
,mirabeau also  observed1 #8that the    
executive power had undoubtedly a right 
to augment  the military force1 in any  
particular place1 when private          
information1  or urgent circumstances1  
appeared to require it2 and that the    
municipality had1 likewise1 a right to  
demand the troops they judged           
necessary2 yet he could not help        
thinking it singular1 that the          
ministers should have entrusted the     
municipality with a secret1 which  they 
did not communicate to the              
assembly1--who might be supposed at     
least  as anxious to take every         
precaution for the safety of the town   
and the  king's person4' ,to these      
pertinent remarks no attention was paid2
 and a  letter from the mayor of ,paris1
 informing the assembly1 that a great   
number of the districts of the          
metropolis had remonstrated against the 
introduction of regular troops into     

,versailles1 to awe the national        
guards1 was equally neglected2 whilst a 
letter to the president1 in the  name of
 the king1 informing him1 that he had   
taken the different  measures necessary 
to prevent any disturbances in the place
 where the  national assembly were      
sitting1 was thrown aside without any   
comment4    ,the loan still failing1    
several individuals made magnificent    
presents2  sacrificing their jewels and 
plate1 to relieve the wants of their    
country4 ,and the king sent his rich    
service to the mint1 in spite of the    
remonstrances of the assembly4--,the    
disinterestedness of this action1 it  is
 absurd to talk of benevolence1 may     
fairly be doubted2 because1 had he      
escaped1 and the escape was then in     
contemplation1 it would have been       
confiscated2 whilst the voluntary offer 
was a popular step1 which might  serve  
for a little time to cover this design1 
and turn the attention of  the public   
from the subject of the reinforcement of

 the guards to the  patriotism of the   
king4    ,these donations1 which        
scarcely afforded a temporary supply1   
rather  amused than relieved the nation2
 though they suggested a new plan to the
  minister4 ,necker1 therefore1         
incapable of forming any great design   
for  the good of the nation1 yet        
calculating on the general enthusiasm1  
which  pervaded all descriptions and    
ranks of people1 laid before the        
assembly  the ruinous state of the      
finances1 proposing at the same time1 as
 the  only mode of remedying the evil1  
to require of the citizens a            
contribution of one-fourth of their     
income4 ,the assembly was startled by   
this proposal1 but ,mirabeau1 believing 
that the people would now grant         
whatever their representatives required1
 prevailed on the assembly1 by a  lively
 representation of the perilous state of
 the kingdom1 to adopt the  only plan of
 salvation which had yet been           
suggested--insisting1 that this  was the

 only expedient to avoid an infamous    
national bankruptcy4 #8,two  centuries  
of depredations and pillage1' he        
exclaimed1 #8have hollowed out  an      
immense gulph1 in which the kingdom will
 soon be swallowed4 ,it is  necessary to
 fill up this frightful abyss4          
,agreed6--,choose out the rich1  that   
the sacrifice may fall on the fewer     
citizens2 but1 determine  quickly6      
,there are two thousand notables1 who   
have sufficient property  to restore    
order to your finances1 and peace and   
prosperity to the  kingdom4 ,strike2    
immolate without pity these             
victims6--precipitate them  into the    
abyss--it is going to close on them--ye 
draw back1 with  horrour--ye men6       
pusillanimous and inconsistent6--and see
 ye not in  decreeing a bankruptcy1 or1 
which is still more contemptible1       
rendering  it inevitable1 ye are sullied
 by an act a thousand times more        
criminal8'    ,but it is impossible to  
do justice to this burst of eloquence1  

in a  translation2 besides1 the most    
energetic appeals to the passions always
  lose half their dignity1 or1 perhaps1 
appear to want the support of  reason1  
when they are coolly perused4--,nothing 
produces conviction like  passion--it   
seems the ray from heaven1 that         
enlightens as it warms4--,yet  the      
effect once over1 something like a fear 
of having been betrayed into  folly     
clings to the mind it has most strongly 
influenced2 and an obscure  sense of    
shame lowers the spirits that were wound
 up too high4    ,from the whole tenour 
of this speech it is clear1 that        
,mirabeau was in  earnest2 and that he  
had fired his imagination1 by           
considering this plan  as an act of     
heroism1 that would ennoble the         
revolution1 and reflect  lasting honour 
on the national assembly4 ,in this      
extemporary flow of  eloquence1 probably
 the most simple and noble of modern    
times1 mixed  none of the rhetoric which
 frequently entered into his studied    

compositions2 for his periods were often
 artfully formed2--but it was the  art  
of a man of genius4 ,he proposed to the 
assembly to address their  constituents 
on this occasion2 and he was accordingly
 requested to  prepare an address for   
their consideration4    ,his address to 
the nation is1 indeed1 a master-piece2  
yet1 being written  to persuade1 and not
 spoken to carry a point immediately1   
and overwhelm  opposition1 there is more
 reasoning in it2 and more artful1      
though less  forcible1 appeals to the   
passions4 ,and1 though this expedient   
appears to  be the most wild that folly 
could have blundered upon1 the arguments
  ought to be preserved with which it   
was glossed over4    ,to expect a man to
 give the fourth of what he lived on2   
and that in the  course of fifteen      
months1 leaving it to him to make the   
estimate1 was  expecting that from      
virtue1 which could only have been      
produced by  enthusiasm4 ,all the       
ancient acts of heroism1 were excited by

 the spur of  present danger2 and of    
this kind of virtue the french were     
equally  capable2 yet1 though the plan  
afforded them an opportunity to give a  
splendid proof of their patriotism1 it  
by no means answered2 because1 it  being
 the effect rather of temper than of    
principle1 selfishness had  time to find
 a plausible pretext to elude it2 and   
vanity is seldom  willing to hide it's  
good works in the common measure4    ,as
 the removing the national assembly to  
,paris forms an epocha in the  history  
of the revolution1 it seems proper to   
close this chapter with  ,mirabeau's    
address4    #8,the deputies of the      
national assembly suspend a while their 
labours to  lay before their            
constituents the wants of the state1 and
 to call upon  their patriotism to      
second the measures1 which a country in 
danger  demands4    #8,it were betraying
 you to dissemble4 ,two ways are        
open--the nation may  stride forward to 
the most glorious pre-eminence1 or fall 

head-long into  a gulph of misfortune4  
#8,a great revolution1 the very plan of 
which some months ago would have        
appeared chimerical1 has taken place    
amongst us4 ,accelerated by  unforeseen 
circumstances1 the momentum has suddenly
 overthrown our  ancient institutions4  
,without allowing us time to prop what  
must be  preserved1 or to replace what  
ought to be destroyed1 it has at once   
surrounded us with ruins4    #8,our     
efforts to support the government are   
fruitless1 a fatal numbness  cramps all 
it's powers4 ,the public revenue is no  
more2 and credit cannot  gain strength  
at a moment1 when our fears equal our   
hopes4--,this spring  of social power   
unbent1 has weakened the whole machine2 
men and things1  resolution1 courage1   
and even virtue itself1 have lost their 
tension4 ,if  your concurrence do not   
speedily restore life and motion to the 
body-politic1 the grandest revolutions1 
perishing with the hopes it  generated1 
will mingle again in the chaos1 whence  

noble exertions have  drawn it2 and     
they1 who shall still preserve an       
unconquerable love of  liberty1 will    
refuse to unworthy citizens the         
disgraceful consolation of  resuming    
their fetters4    #8,since your deputies
 have buried all their rivalry1 all     
their contending  interests1 in a just  
and necessary union1 the national       
assembly has  laboured to establish     
equal laws for the common safety4 ,it   
has repaired  great errours1 and broken 
the links of countless thraldoms1 which 
degraded human nature3 it has kindled   
the flame of joy and hope in the  bosoms
 of the people1 the creditors of earth  
and nature1 whose dignity  has been so  
long tarnished1 whose hearts have been  
so long discouraged3  it has restored   
the long-obscured equality of frenchmen1
 estabblished  their common right to    
serve the state1 to enjoy it's          
protection1 to  merit it's rewards3 in  
short1 conformably to your instructions1
 it is  gradually erecting1 on the      

immutable basis of the imprescriptible  
rights  of man1 a constitution mild as  
nature1 lasting as justice1 and the     
imperfections of which1 the consequence 
of the inexperience of it's  authors1   
will easily be repaired4 ,we have had to
 contend with the  inveterate prejudices
 of ages1 whilst harassed by the        
thousand  uncertainties which accompany 
great changes4 ,our successors will have
  the beaten track of experience before 
them2 we have had only the compass  of  
theory to guide us through the pathless 
desert4 ,they may labour  peaceably2    
though we have had to bear up against   
storms4 ,they will know  their rights1  
and the limits of their power3 we have  
had to recover the  one1 and to fix the 
other4 ,they will consolidate our       
work--they will  surpass us--,what a    
recompense6 ,who shall dare1 mean while1
 to assign  limits to the grandeur of   
,france8 ,who is not elevated by hope8  
,who does  not felicitate himself on    
being a citizen of it's empire8         

#8,such1 however1 is the crisis of the  
finances1 that the state is  threatened 
with dissolution before this grand order
 of things can find  it's centre4 ,the  
cessation of the revenue has banished   
specie4 ,a  thousand circumstances      
hasten it's exportation4 ,the sources of
 credit  are exhausted2 and the wheels  
of government are almost at a stand4 ,if
  patriotism then step not forward to   
the succour of government1 our  armies1 
our fleets1 our subsistence1 our arts1  
our trade1 our  agriculture1 our        
national debt1 our country itself1 will 
be hurried  towards that catastrophe1   
when she will receive laws only from    
disorder  and anarchy--,liberty would   
have glanced on our sight1 only to      
disappear  for ever1 only to leave      
behind the bitter consciousness1 that we
 did not  merit the possession4 ,and to 
our shame1 in the eyes of the universe1 
the  evil could be attributed solely to 
ourselves4 ,with a soil so fertile1     
industry so productive1 a commerce so   

flourishing1 and such means of          
prosperity--what is this embarrassment  
of our finances8 ,our wants amount  not 
to the expence of a summer's            
campaign--and our liberty1 is it not    
worth more than those senseless         
struggles1 when even victory has proved 
ruinous8    #8,the present difficulty   
overcome1 far from burdening the people1
 it will  be easy to meliorate their    
condition4 ,reductions1 which need not  
annihilate luxury2 reforms1 which will  
reduce none to indigence2 a  commutation
 of the oppressive taxes1 an equal      
assessment of the impost1  together with
 the equilibrium which must be restored 
between our revenue  and our            
expenditure2 an order that must be      
rendered permanent by our  vigilant     
superintendency4--,these are the        
scattered objects of your  consolatory  
perspective4--,they are not the         
unsubstantial coinage of  fancy2 but    
real1 palpable forms--hopes capable of  
proof1 things  subordinate to           

calculation4    #8,but our actual       
wants--the paralysis of our public      
strength1 the hundred  and sixty extra  
millions necessary for this year1 and   
the next--,what can  be done8 ,the prime
 minister has proposed as the great     
lever of the  effort1 which is to decide
 the kingdom's fate1 a contribution     
proportional to the income of each      
citizen4    #8,between the necessity of 
providing instantly for the exigencies  
of the  public1 and the impossibility of
 investigating so speedily the plan     
before us2 fearing to enter into a      
labyrinth of calculations1 and seeing   
nothing contrary to our duty in the     
minister's proposal1 we have obeyed  the
 dictates of our consciences1 presuming 
they would be yours4 ,the  attachment of
 the nation to the author of the plan1  
appeared to us a  pledge of it's        
success2 and we confided in his long    
experience1 rather  than trust to the   
guidance of our speculative opinions4   
#8,to the conscience of every citizen is

 left the valuation of his income3  thus
 the effect of the measure depends on   
your own patriotism4 ,when the  nation  
is bursting from the nothingness of     
servitude to the creation of            
liberty--when policy is about to concur 
with nature in unfolding the            
inconceivable grandeur of her future    
destiny--shall vile passions oppose  her
 greatness8 interest stay her flight8   
and the salvation of the state  weigh   
less than a personal contribution8      
#8,no2 such madness is not in nature2   
the passions even do not listen to  such
 treacherous reckonings4 ,if the        
revolution1 which has given us a        
country1 cannot rouse some frenchmen out
 of the torpor of indifference1  at     
least the tranquillity of the kingdom1  
the only pledge of their  individual    
security1 will influence them4 ,no2 it  
is not in the whirl of  universal       
overthrow1 in the degradation of        
tutelary authority1 when a  crowd of    
indigent citizens1 shut out from the    

work-shops1 will be  clamouring for     
impotent pity2 when the soldiery        
disbanded will be  forming itself into  
hungry gangs of armed plunderers1 when  
property will  be violated with         
impunity1 and the very existence of     
individuals  menaced--terrour and grief 
waiting at the door of every family--it 
is not  amidst such complicated         
wretchedness1 that these cruel and      
selfish men  will enjoy in peace the    
hoards which they denied their country4 
,the only  distinction that awaits them1
 in the general wreck1 will be the      
universal opprobrium they deserve1 or   
the useless remorse that will  corrode  
the inmost recesses of their hearts4    
#8,ah6 how many recent proofs have we of
 the public spiritedness1 which  renders
 all success so easy6 ,with what        
rapidity was formed the national        
militia1 those legions of citizens armed
 for the defence of the country1  the   
preservation of tranquillity1 and the   
maintenance of the laws6 ,a  generous   

emulation has beamed on all sides4      
,villages1 towns1 provinces1  have      
considered their privileges as odious   
distinctions1 and solicited  the honour 
of depriving themselves of peculiar     
advantages1 to enrich  their country4   
,you know it3 time was not allowed to   
draw up the mutual  concessions1        
dictated by a purely patriotic          
sentiment1 into decrees2 so  impatient  
was every class of citizens to restore  
to the great family  whatever endowed   
some of it's members to the prejudice of
 others4    #8,above all1 since the     
embarrassment of our finances1 the      
patriotic  contributions have increased4
 ,from the throne1 the majesty of which 
a  beneficent prince exalts by his      
virtues1 has emanated the most  striking
 example4--,o thou1 so justly the dearly
 beloved of thy                         
people--king--citizen--man of worth6 it 
was thine to cast a glance over  the    
magnificence that surrounded thee1 and  
to convert it into national  resources4 

,the objects of luxury which thou hast  
sacrificed1 have  added new lustre to   
thy dignity2 and whilst the love of the 
french for  thy sacred person makes them
 murmur at the privation1 their         
sensibility applauds thy magnanimity2   
and their generosity will repay  thy    
beneficence by the return it covets1 by 
an imitation of thy  virtues1 by        
pursuing thy course in the career of    
public utility4    #8,how much wealth1  
congealed by ostentation into useless   
heaps1 shall  melt into flowing streams 
of prosperity6 ,how much the prudent    
economy of  individuals might contribute
 to the restoration of the kingdom6 ,how
 many  treasures1 which the piety of our
 forefathers accumulated on the altars  
of our temples1 will forsake their      
obscure cells without changing their    
sacred destination6 8,this ,i set apart1
 in times of prosperity20 says          
religion2 8it is fitting that ,i        
dispense it in the day of adversity4 ,it
  was not for myself--a borrowed lustre 

adds nothing to my greatness--it was    
for you1 and the state1 that ,i levied  
this honourable tribute on the  virtues 
of your forefathers40    #8,who can     
avoid being affected by such examples8  
,what a moment to display  our          
resources1 to invoke the aid of every   
corner of the empire6--,o  prevent the  
shame1 with which the violation of our  
engagements1 our most  sacred           
engagements1 would stain the birth of   
freedom6 ,prevent those  dreadful       
shocks1 which1 in overturning the most  
solid institutions1 and  shattering the 
most established fortunes1 would leave  
,france covered  with the sad ruins of a
 shameful hurricane4 ,how mistaken are  
those1 who  at a certain distance from  
the capital contemplate not the links1  
which  connect public faith with        
national prosperity1 and with the social
  contract6 ,they who pronounce the     
infamous term bankruptcy1 are they not  
rather a herd of ferocious beasts1 than 
a society of men just and free8  ,where 

is the frenchman who will dare to look  
his fellow citizens in the  face1 when  
his conscience shall upbraid him with   
having contributed to  empoison the     
existence of millions of his fellow     
creatures8 ,are we the  nation to whose 
honour it's enemies bear witness1 who   
are about to sully  the proud           
distinction by a ,,bankruptcy8--,shall  
we give them cause to  say1 we have only
 recovered our liberty and strength to  
commit1 without  shuddering1 crimes     
which paled even the cheek of despotism8
    #8,would it be any excuse to        
protest1 that this execrable mischief   
was not  premeditated8 ,ah6 no3 the     
cries of the victims1 whom we shall     
scatter  over ,europe1 will drown our   
voice4 ,act then6--,be your measures    
swift1  strong1 sure4 ,dispel the cloud1
 that lowers over our heads1 the gloom  
of  which sheds terrour into the hearts 
of the creditors of ,france4--,if it    
burst1 the devastation of our national  
resources will be more tremendous  than 

the terrible plague1 which has lately   
ravaged our provinces4    #8,how will   
our courage in the exercise of the      
functions1 you have  confided to us1 be 
renewed6 ,with what vigour shall we     
labour in forming  the constitution1    
when secured from interruption6 ,we have
 sworn to save  our country--judge of   
our anguish1 whilst it trembles on the  
verge of  destruction4 ,a momentary     
sacrifice is sufficient2 a sacrifice    
offered to  the public good1 and not to 
the encroachments of covetousness4 ,and 
is  this easy expiation of the faults   
and blunders of a period1 stigmatized   
by political servitude1 above our       
strength8 ,think of the price which has 
been paid for liberty by other nations1 
who have shown themselves worthy  of    
it3--for this1 rivers of blood have     
streamed--long years of woe1 and  horrid
 civil wars1 have every where preceded  
the glorious birth6--,of us  nothing is 
required1 but a pecuniary sacrifice--and
 even this vulgar  offering is not an   

impoverishing gift3--it will return into
 our bosom1 to  enrich our cities1 our  
fields2 augmenting our national glory   
and  prosperity4'                       
,,chapter ,,iii4     ,,reflections ,,on 
,,the ,,new ,,mode ,,of ,,raising       
,,supplies4 ,,no ,,just ,,system ,,of   
,,taxation ,,yet ,,established4 ,,paper 
,,money4 ,,necessity ,,of ,,gradual     
,,reform4      ,the task certainly was  
very difficult1 at this crisis1 for a   
minister to  give satisfaction to the   
people1 and yet supply the wants of the 
state2  for it was not very likely that 
the public1 who had been exclaiming     
against the incessant demands of the old
 government1 would have been  pleased   
with new burdens1 or patiently endured  
them4 ,still it is always  the height of
 folly in a financier1 to attempt to    
supply the exigencies  of government by 
any but specific and certain means3 for 
such vague  measures will ever produce a
 deficit1 the consequences of which are 
most pernicious to public credit and    

private comfort4    ,a man1 who has a   
precise sum to live upon1 generally     
takes into his  estimate of expences a  
certain part of his income as due to the
  government1 for the protection and    
social advantages it secures him4  ,this
 proportion of his income being commonly
 the same from period to  period1 he    
lays it by for that particular purpose1 
and contentedly  enjoys the remainder4  
,but1 should a weak minister1 or a      
capricious  government1 call on him for 
an additional sum1 because the taxes    
have  proved unproductive1 either       
through the inability of some of the    
members  of the state1 or that they were
 laid on articles of consumption1 and   
the  consumption has not been equal to  
the calculation2 it not only deranges   
his schemes of domestic economy1 but may
 be the cause of the most  serious      
inconvenience4    ,a man who has a      
limited income1 and a large family1 is  
not only obliged  to be very industrious
 to support them1 but he is likewise    

necessitated  to make all his           
arrangements with the greatest          
circumspection and  exactness2 because a
 trifling loss1 by involving him in     
debt1 might lead  to his ruin1 including
 that of his family4 ,the rich man1     
indeed1 seldom  thinks of these most    
cruel misfortunes2 for a few pounds1    
more or less1  are of no real importance
 to him4 ,yet the poor man1 nay even the
 man of  moderate fortune1 is liable to 
have his whole scheme of life broken by 
a  circumstance of this kind1 and all   
his future days embittered by a         
perpetual struggle with pecuniary       
vexations4    ,governments1 which ought 
to protect1 and not oppress mankind1    
cannot be  too regular in their demands2
 for the manner of levying taxes is of  
the  highest importance to political    
economy1 and the happiness of           
individuals4 ,no government has yet     
established a just system of            
taxation#ca3 for in every country the   
expences of government have  fallen     

unequally on the citizens2 and1 perhaps1
 it is not possible to  render them     
perfectly equal1 but by laying all the  
taxes on land1 the  mother of every     
production4    ,in this posture of      
affairs1 the enthusiasm of the french in
 the cause of  liberty might have been  
turned to the advantage of a new and    
permanent  system of finance4 ,an able1 
bold minister1 who possessed the        
confidence  of the nation1 might have   
recommended with success the taking of  
the  national property under the direct 
management of the assembly2 and then    
endeavouring to raise a loan on that    
property1 he would have given           
respectability to the new government1 by
 immediately procuring the  supplies    
indispensably necessary not only to keep
 it1 but to put it in  motion4    ,in   
times of civil commotion1 or during a   
general convulsion1 men who  have money1
 and they are commonly most timid and   
cautious1 are very apt  to take care of 
it1 even at the expence of their        

interest2 and1  therefore1 it was to be 
presumed1 that the monied men of ,france
 would  not have been very ready to     
subscribe to the different loans        
proposed by  the minister1 unless the   
security had been obvious1 or the       
speculative  advantages exorbitant4 ,but
 if ,necker1 whom the prudent usurer    
adored as  his tutelar god1 had said to 
the nation #8there is a property worth  
#d1gjj1jjj1jjj l4 independent of the    
property of the emigrants1 take it  into
 your immediate possession2 and1 whilst 
the sales are going on1 give  it as a   
guarantee for the loan you want4 ,this  
just and dignified measure  will not    
only relieve your present necessities1  
but it will be  sufficient to enable you
 to fulfil great part of your former    
engagements4' ,there would have been    
then no need of the eloquence of        
,mirabeau2 reason would have done the   
business2 and men1 attending to  their  
own interest1 would have promoted the   
public good1 without having  their heads

 turned giddy by romantic flights of    
heroism4    ,the immediate and incessant
 wants of a state must always be        
supplied2  prudence therefore1 requires1
 that the directors of the finances     
should  rather provide by anticipation  
for it's wants than suffer a deficit4   
,the government being once in arrears1  
additional taxes become  indispensable  
to bring forward the balance1 or the    
nation must have  recourse to paper     
notes2 an expedient1 as experience has  
shown1 always  to be dreaded1 because by
 increasing the debt it only extends the
 evil4  ,and this increasing debt1 like 
a ball of snow1 gathering as it rolls1  
soon attains a wonderful magnitude4     
,every state1 which has unavoidably     
accumulated it's debt1 ought1 provided  
those at the helm wish to  preserve the 
government1 and extend the security and 
comforts of it's  citizens1 to take     
every just measure to render the        
interest secure1 and  to fund the       
principal2 for as it augments1 like the 

petrifying mass1 it  stands in the way  
of all improvement1 spreading the       
chilling miseries of  poverty           
around--till the evil baffling all      
expedients1 a mighty crash  produces a  
new order of things1 overwhelming1 with 
the ruins of the old1  thousands of     
innocent victims4    ,the precious      
metals have been considered as the best 
of all possible  signs of value1 to     
facilitate the exchange of commodities1 
to supply our  reciprocal wants3 and    
they will ever be necessary to our      
comfort1 whilst  by the common consent  
of mankind they are the standards of    
exchange4  ,gold and silver have a      
specific value1 because it is not easy  
to  accumulate them beyond a certain    
quantity4 ,paper1 on the contrary1 is a 
dangerous expedient1 except under a well
 established government3 and  even then 
the business ought to be conducted with 
great moderation and                    
sagacity4--,perhaps it would be wise1   
that it's extent should be  consistent  

with the commerce of the country1 and   
the quantity of species  actually in    
it--,but it is the spirit of commerce to
 stretch credit too  far4 ,the notes1   
also1 which are issued by a state before
 it's government  is well established1  
will certainly be depreciated2 and in   
proportion as  they grow precarious1 the
 gold and silver1 which was formerly in 
circulation will vanish1 and every      
article of trade1 and all the  comforts 
of life1 will bear a higher price4      
,these are considerations1 which ought  
to have occurred to the french          
minister1 and have led him to take      
decided measures4 ,the interest of the  
national debt was #bee1cie1ada l4 by a  
report for the year  #agib4--,necker1 by
 his account dated the #ast of may1     
#aghi1 states the  income at            
#dge1bid1jjj l41 and the expences at    
#eca1ecc1jjj l43  consequently there was
 a deficiency of #ef1bci1jjj l42 and it 
was not  probable1 it could not even be 
expected1 that during the convulsions of

  a revolution1 the taxes would be      
regularly paid3 the debt1 then1 and the 
demands of the state1 must increase4    
,the credit of every government greatly 
depends on the regulation of it's       
finances2 and the most certain way to   
have given stability to the new  system1
 would have been by making such         
arrangements as would have  insured     
promptitude of payment4 ,no minister    
ever had it so much in his  power to    
have taken measures glorious for        
,france1 beneficial to ,europe1  happy  
for the people of the day1 and          
advantageous to posterity4 ,no  epocha1 
since the inflated system of paper 7the 
full blown bladders of  public credit1  
which may be destroyed by the prick of a
 pin7 was  invented1 ever appeared so   
favourable as that juncture in ,france1 
to  have overturned it completely3 and  
by overlooking these circumstances1  the
 nation has probably lost most of the   
advantages1 which her finances  might   
have gained by the revolution4    ,such 

mistakes1 whilst they involve in them a 
thousand difficulties1  prove the       
necessity of gradual reform2 lest the   
light1 suddenly  breaking-in on a       
benighted people1 should overpower the  
understanding it  ought to direct4 ,the 
line in which ,necker had been          
accustomed to move1  by restraining what
 little energy his mind was capable of  
exerting1  precluded the possibility of 
his seeing the faint lines marked on an 
expansive scale1 which afforded the data
 for calculations2 and the  nation1     
confiding to him the direction of a     
business for which he had  not          
sufficient talents1 seems to have       
contemplated in imagination a  prospect1
 which has not yet been realized2 and   
whilst expectation  hovered on it's     
margin1 the dazzling scenery was        
obscured by clouds the  most threatening
 and tremendous4    ,these are evils    
that from the beginning of time have    
attended  precipitate and great changes4
 ,the improvements in philosophy and    

morals  have been extremely tardy4 ,all 
sudden revolutions have been as suddenly
  overturned1 and things thrown back    
below their former state4 ,the          
improvements in the science of politics 
have been still more slow in  their     
advancement than those of philosophy and
 morals2 but the  revolution in ,france 
has been progressive4 ,it was a         
revolution in the  minds of men2 and    
only demanded a new system of government
 to be adapted  to that change4 ,this   
was not generally perceived2 and the    
politicians of  the day ran wildly from 
one extreme to the other1 without       
recollecting1  that even ,moses         
sojourning forty years in the wilderness
 could but  conduct the jews to the     
borders of the promised land1 after the 
first  generation had perished in their 
prejudices2 the most inveterate sins of 
men4    ,this is not a discouraging     
consideration4 ,our ancestors have      
laboured  for us2 and we1 in our turn1  
must labour for posterity4 ,it is by    

tracing  the mistakes1 and profiting    
from the discoveries of one generation1 
that  the next is able to take a more   
elevated stand4 ,the first inventor of  
any instrument has scarcely ever been   
able to bring it to a tolerable  degree 
of perfection2 and the discoveries of   
every man of genius1 the  optics of     
,newton excepted1 have been improved1 if
 not extended1 by their                 
followers4--,can it then be expected1   
that the science of politics and        
finance1 the most important1 and most   
difficult of all human  improvements2 a 
science which involves the passions1    
tempers1 and  manners of men and        
nations1 estimates their wants1         
maladies1 comforts1  happiness1 and     
misery1 and computes the sum of good or 
evil flowing from  social institutions2 
will not require the same gradations1   
and advance  by steps equally slow to   
that state of perfection necessary to   
secure  the sacred rights of every human
 creature8    ,the vanity and weakness  

of men have continually tended to retard
 this  progress of things3 still it is  
going forward2 and though the fatal     
presumption of the headstrong french1   
and the more destructive ambition  of   
their foreign enemies1 have given it a  
check1 we may contemplate with          
complacent serenity the approximation of
 the glorious era1 when the             
appellations of fool and tyrant will be 
synonymous4                             
,,an                                    
,,historical ,,and ,,moral ,,view       
,,of ,,the                              
,,french ,,revolution4                  
,,book ,v4                              
,,chapter ,i4   ,,errour ,,of ,,the     
,,national ,,assembly ,,in ,,neglecting 
,,to ,,secure ,,the ,,freedom ,,of      
,,france4 ,,it',s ,,conduct ,,compared  
,,with ,,that ,,of ,,the ,,american     
,,states4  ,,necessity ,,of ,,forming ,a
 ,,new ,,constitution ,,as ,,soon ,,as  
,,an ,,old ,,government ,,is            
,,destroyed4 ,,the ,,declaring ,,the    

,,king ,,inviolable ,a ,,wrong          
,,measure4 ,,security     ,,of ,,the    
,,french ,,against ,a                   
,,counterrevolution4 ,,the ,,flight ,,of
 ,,the ,,king                           
,,meditated4      ,the conduct of the   
assembly in losing so much time--the    
most precious  time to secure the       
happiness of their country1 and enable  
the present  generation to participate  
in the blessings they were preparing for
  posterity1 instead of having to       
encounter all the miseries of anarchy1  
can never be sufficiently lamented4     
,france had already gained her  freedom2
 the nation had already ascertained     
certain1 and the most  important1       
political truths3 it ought1 therefore1  
to have been the next  consideration1   
how these were to be preserved1 and the 
liberty of the  empire consolidated on a
 basis that time would only render more 
firm4    ,moderate men1 or real         
patriots1 would have been satisfied with
 what had  been gained1 for the present1

 allowing the rest to follow            
progressively4  ,it was the most        
political and the most reasonable way to
 secure the  acquisition4 ,in this      
situation ,france had to contend with   
the prejudices  of half ,europe1 at     
least1 and to counteract the influence  
of the  insidious intriguers1 who were  
opposing themselves to her regeneration2
  to facilitate which the assembly ought
 to have made it one of their main      
objects to render the king contented    
with the change2 and then the           
machinations of all the underminers of  
the revolution1 would not have  loosened
 one fundamental stone1 to endanger the 
rising edifice4    ,such is the         
difference between men acting from a    
practical knowledge1  and men who are   
governed entirely by theory1 or no      
principle whatever4  ,most of the       
,united ,states of ,america formed their
 separate constitutions  within a month1
 and none took more than three1 after   
the declaration of  their independence  

by congress4 ,there certainly was a vast
 distinction  between those ,states1    
then the colonies of ,great ,britain1   
and ,france  after the #adth of july2   
but both countries were without a       
government4  ,america with an enemy in  
the heart of their empire1 and ,france  
threatened with an attack4 ,the leading 
men of ,america1 however1 knew1  that   
there was a necessity of having some    
kind of government1 and seem  to have   
perceived the ease1 with which any      
subsequent alterations could  be        
effected4 ,the members of the national  
assembly1 on the contrary1  found       
themselves surrounded with ruins2 and   
aiming at a state of  perfection for    
which the minds of the people were not  
sufficiently  mature2 affecting likewise
 to be directed by a magnanimous        
disinterestedness1 they not only planted
 the germ of the most dangerous  and    
licentious spirit1 but they continued to
 irritate the desperate  courtiers1 who1
 having determined to oppose stratagem  

to force1 and not  succeeding1 rested   
all their future hopes on the king's    
escape4    ,the liberty of the press1   
which had been virtually established1 at
 this  period1 was a successful engine  
employed against the assembly4 ,and to a
  nation celebrated for epigrammatic    
fancy1 and whose taste had been so      
refined by art1 that they had lost the  
zest of nature1 the simplicity of  some 
of the members1 their awkward figures1  
and rustic gait1 compared  with the     
courtly mien1 and easy assurance of the 
chevaliers of  ,versailles1 afforded an 
excellent subject4 ,some of these       
satires were  written with considerable 
wit1 and such a happy turn of           
caricature1 that  it is impossible not  
to laugh with the author1 though        
indirectly  ridiculing the principles   
you hold sacred4 ,the most respectable  
decrees1  the most important1 and       
serious discussions1 were twisted into  
jests2  which divided the people without
 doors into two distinct parties2 one1  

speaking of the assembly with sovereign 
contempt1 as a set of upstarts  and     
babbling knaves2 and the other1 setting 
up new thrones for their  favourites1   
and viewing them with blind admiration1 
as if they were a  synod of demi-gods4  
,the contenancing of this abuse of      
freedom was  ill-judged4 ,the different 
parties were already sufficiently       
heated2 yet  it would have been         
impossible1 perhaps1 to have restrained 
the temper of  the times1 so strong is  
the intoxication of a new folly1 though 
it would  have been easy for the        
assembly to have passed a decree        
respecting  libels4 ,but so ardent was  
become their passion for liberty1 that  
they  were unable to discriminate       
between a licentious use of that        
important  invention1 and it's real     
utility4 ,treating then with an untimely
 disdain  the many abusive publications1
 which were sold within the very walls  
where they were sitting1 they were not  
aware of the effect which they  produced

 on the minds of mock heroes1 who1      
having no principle but  honour1 were   
ready to risk their lives to sooth      
distressed beauty1 no  matter what      
produced it2 or to alleviate the        
sufferings of a king1  though the       
consequence of his turpitude or         
tergiversation4    ,after the wreck of a
 government the plan of a new           
constitution ought to  be immediately   
formed1 that is1 as soon as             
circumstances will possibly  admit1 and 
presented to the citizens for their     
acceptance2 or rather the  people should
 depute men for that purpose1 and give  
them a limited time  for framing one4 ,a
 constitution is a standard for the     
people to rally  round4 ,it is the      
pillar of a government1 the bond of all 
social unity  and order4 ,the           
investigation of it's principles makes  
it a fountain of  light2 from which     
issue the rays of reason1 that gradually
 bring forward  the mental powers of the
 whole community4 ,and whenever the     

wheels of  government1 like the wheels  
of any other machine1 are found clogged1
 or  do not move in a regular manner1   
they equally require alteration and     
improvement3 and these improvements will
 be proportionably perfect as  the      
people become enlightened4    ,the      
authority of the national assembly had  
been acknowledged nearly  three months  
previous to this epocha1 without their  
having taken any  decided steps to      
secure these important ends4 ,indeed it 
does not appear  to have been their     
first object4 ,they seem not to have    
known1 or at  least not to have been    
apprehensive1 that1 in proportion to the
 length  of time that the people are    
without an established government1      
anarchists gain an ascendancy over their
 minds2 and it then becomes no  easy    
task to form a constitution adapted to  
their wayward tempers4    ,when a few   
fundamental principles are ascertained1 
and the state has  determined that they 
shall form the basis of it's polity1 it 

seems to be  no difficult matter to give
 motion to the new springs of           
government4 ,it  is true1 that many of  
the prejudices of frenchmen were still  
inveterate1  and in some measure        
influenced them2 and it is also certain1
 that their  total ignorance of the     
operations of any rational system of    
government  was an impediment to this   
motion2 but it is nevertheless to be    
presumed1  that1 the liberty of         
frenchmen having been previously secured
 by the  establishment of the           
declaration of rights1 if the assembly  
had formed  some kind of a constitution1
 and proposed it to the nation1 and to  
the  king1 if he were considered as     
forming a part of it1 for their         
acceptation1 the dispute between the    
people and court would have been        
brought to a speedy issue2 and the      
public attention directed to a point    
would have given dignity and            
respectability to their proceedings4 ,if
  such measures had been followed1 and  

it appears a little strange they  were  
not1 most probably the king and court1  
perceiving that their future            
consequence wholly depended on their    
acquiescence with the state of  reason1 
and temper of the times1 would have     
relinquished all those  absurd and      
dangerous projects for overturning the  
rising political  fabric of the nation1 
which anarchy fostered4    ,it is the   
pillars of a building1 which indicate   
it's durability1 and not  the minor     
beams that are inserted through them1 in
 order to rear the  structure4 ,the     
natural1 civil1 and political rights of 
man are the main  pillars of all social 
happiness2 and by the firm establishment
 of them1  the freedom of men will be   
eternally secured4 ,the moment1         
therefore1 a  state has gained those    
important and sacred privileges1 it is  
clear1  that it ought to form some kind 
of government1 grounded upon this firm  
and broad basis1 that being the only    
possible way to give them  permanency4  

,but the constituent assembly1 unmindful
 of the dreadful  effects beginning to  
flow from an unbounded licentiousness1  
continued to  pursue a romantic         
sublimity of character1 dangerous to all
 sublunary  laws2 whilst most           
interestedly attentive to things that   
should have been  subordinate to their  
first object1 they were led into a      
procrastination1  which in it's         
consequence has been fatal in the       
extreme4    ,the decree which made the  
king inviolable1 passed on the #aeth of 
,september1 at the time the crown was   
declared hereditary1 and the empire     
indivisible1 was the most idle1 if not  
the most dangerous measure1 both  for   
him and ,france1 which could have been  
devised4 ,the former life of  ,louis had
 exhibited a series of follies1 and     
displayed an insincerity  not to be     
tolerated1 much less encouraged2 and it 
was likely1 if this  doctrine1 a relict 
of the abasement of ignorance1 that     
kings can do no  wrong1 should be       

carried into a law1 forming part of the 
constitution1  that he would avail      
himself of the decree of the assembly to
 cover his  contempt of the national    
sovereignty4 ,when kings are considered 
by the  government of a country merely  
as ciphers1 it is very just and proper1 
that their ministers should be          
responsible for their political conduct3
  but at the moment when a state is     
about to establish a constitution on    
the basis of reason1 to undermine that  
foundation by a master-piece of         
absurdity1 appears a solecism as glaring
 as the doctrine itself is  laughable1  
when applied to an enlightened policy4  
,in fact1 whilst  ,mirabeau contended   
for the infallibility of the king1 he   
seems to have  had no right from reason 
to deride those who respected that of   
the  church3 for1 if the government must
 necessarily be supported by a pious    
fraud1 one was as respectable as the    
other4    ,the bigotry of ,louis was    
well known2 nay1 it was notorious1 that 

he  employed his confessor to erase from
 his tender conscience the  remembrance 
of the vices he resolved to indulge1 and
 to reconcile the  meanest dissimulation
 with a servile fear of the ,being whose
 first  attribute is truth4--,this man1 
whose bestiality had been carefully     
pampered by the queen and count         
d',artois1 because in those moments of  
revelry1 prolonged to the most          
disgusting excess of gluttony and       
intoxication1 he would sanction all     
their demands1 was made in his  person  
and conduct sacred and unimpeachable4   
,this was the extreme folly  of         
weakness4 ,but1 when it is also kept in 
view1 that1 at the very period  when he 
was declared inviolable1 he was         
suspected1 in concert with the  court1  
to be actually meditating his flight1   
there seems to be a  pusillanimity in it
 as contemptible as the pretended       
dignity of the  assembly was ridiculous4
    ,true firmness consists in doing    
whatever is just and reasonable1        

uninfluenced by any other consideration4
 ,the defining the power of the  crown  
in the assembly to be subordinate to the
 authority of the people  must have     
appeared to the kings of ,europe a      
dangerous encroachment on  their        
indefeasible rights3--a heresy tending  
to undermine their  privileges1 should  
such audacity pass unchastized1 and to  
destroy the  splendour of royalty by    
presuming to control it's omnipotence4  
,it was  then scarcely to be expected1  
that their resentment would be appeased 
by  shielding the person of ,louis      
against the danger of intrigue and      
violence4 ,it was not1 indeed1 the      
preservation of the life of this        
unfortunate man1 that interested them so
 sensibly as to appall the  sycophants  
of ,europe4--,no2 it was the attack made
 on despotism2 and the  attempt to draw 
aside the splendid curtain which        
concealed it's folly1  that threw them  
into a general ferment and agitation4   
,this agitation  could not fail to      

inspire the court of ,versailles with   
hope1 and they  stood prepared to take  
advantage of the gathering storm1 as    
eagerly as a  distressed mariner1 who   
has long laid becalmed1 perceiving at   
length a  gentle heaving of the sea1 and
 feeling the undulating motion of his   
bark1 foresees the approaching breeze1  
and spreads his sails to catch  the     
first breath of wind4 ,the effect of the
 feigned or real pity of many  of the   
admirers of the old system1 who were    
deeply wounded by the wrong  done1 as   
they insisted1 to their king1 was to be 
dreaded2 for it was not  to be supposed1
 that the chivalrous spirit of ,france  
would be destroyed  in an instant1      
though swords had ceased to leap out of 
their scabbards  when beauty was not    
deified4 ,it was then undoubtedly to be 
feared1 that  they would risk their     
lives and fortunes to support the glory 
of their  master1 and their own notions 
of honour3 and the assembly1 by making  
,louis not accountable for any of his   

actions1 however insincere1 unjust1  or 
atrocious1 was affording all his        
abettors a shelter1 encouraging at  the 
same time his hypocrisy1 and relaxing   
the little energy of  character1 which  
his misfortune seemed to be calling into
 play4    ,mistaken lenity in politics  
is not more dangerous than a false      
magnanimity is palpable littleness in   
the eyes of a man of simple  integrity4 
,besides1 had the representatives of the
 people considered  ,louis merely as a  
man1 it is probable he would have acted 
more like one4  ,instead of palliating  
the matter1 they should1 on the         
contrary1 have  proclaimed to all       
,europe1 with a tone of dignified       
firmness1 that the  french nation1      
willing for themselves1 regardless of   
the rights and  privileges of others1   
though respecting their prejudices1     
finding that  no compromise could be    
formed between the court and people1    
whose  interest neither justice nor     
policy ever required should be distinct1

 do  not consider themselves accountable
 to any power or congress on earth1  for
 any measure they may choose to adopt in
 framing a constitution to  regulate    
their own internal polity4 ,that        
treating their monarch like a  man1 and 
not as a mere idol for state pageantry1 
they would wish1 by  establishing the   
dignity of truth and justice1 to give   
stability to the  freedom of frenchmen1 
and leave a monument in their           
institutions to  immortalize a sincere  
and acquiescing king4 ,but that1 though 
their ideas  might differ greatly from  
those of their neighbours1 with whom    
they  desired to live on the most       
amicable terms1 they would pursue the   
path  of eternal reason in consolidating
 the rights of man2 and by a striking   
example lay the foundation of the       
liberty of the whole globe1 of that     
liberty which had hitherto been confined
 to the small island of ,england1  and  
enjoyed imperfectly even there4    ,the 
house of ,austria was at this period    

engaged in a war with the turks1  which 
obliged it to withdraw most of it's     
troops from ,flanders2 and the          
intelligence1 that the flemings1 highly 
discontented with the  innovations1     
which the vain weathercock ,joseph the  
,second had made in  their form of      
worship1 were on the eve of an          
insurrection1 more against  the folly of
 the man than the despotism of his      
court1 calmed the fears  of the french1 
as to the danger of being immediately   
attacked by  ,germany4 ,this security1  
for they had no dread of ,sardinia1 made
 them  consider the possibility of a    
counter-revolution being effected by    
foreign enemies as far from alarming4   
,it is true1 there was not any just     
cause of apprehension1 unless they took 
into the calculation1 that the  policy  
of ,europe for ages past had been       
subject to sudden changes2 a  state of  
profound tranquillity giving place to   
sanguinary scenes of  confusion1 and    
inhuman butcheries--often about such    

trifling insults and  idle pretentions1 
as individuals would be ashamed to make 
a pretext for  quarrelling2 and having  
reason to expect these changes as long  
as the  systems of courts preserve their
 existence1 ,france could not reckon1   
with any degree of certainty1 on the    
continuation of peace4--,neither did    
the national assembly appear to have    
calculated upon it2 for they            
undoubtedly betrayed symptoms of        
pusillanimity1 when they suffered their 
conduct to be in the smallest degree    
influenced by the apprehension of a     
combination of the crowned heads of     
,europe to replace the royal diadem  of 
,france1 should the most brilliant of   
it's jewels be touched by  profane      
hands4    ,these fears1 perhaps1 were   
the secret cause1 combined with the old 
habit  of adoring the king1 as a point  
of honour1 and loving the court1 as an  
affair of taste1 that induced them to   
preserve the shadow of monarchy in  the 
new order of things4 ,it's preservation 

might have been politically  necessary2 
because1 before abolishing any ancient  
form1 it is necessary  to secure        
whatever political good may have flowed 
from it1 and guard  against being       
exhausted by cutting off an             
excrescence4--,but1 if the  continuance 
of a king in the new system were        
expedient to avert present  evil1 they  
should have allowed him the power       
necessary to give energy to  the        
government2 and making him responsible  
for the rectitude of his  actions1 the  
man would have had a fair trial1 and    
posterity1 judging of  his conduct1     
would have been enabled to form a just  
estimate of a kingly  government4       
,machiavelian cunning1 however1 still   
directed the movements of all the       
courts of ,europe2 and these political  
moles1 too well perceiving the  timidity
 that was mixed with the blustering     
courage of the assembly1  only waited   
for a favourable season to overturn the 
rising edifice4  ,their agents had      

private instructions to promote the     
escape of ,louis1 as  the surest mode of
 making a decided schism in the national
 politics2 and  they firmly believed1   
that the affection still subsisting for 
his  christian majesty would facilitate 
the execution of their plan4 ,the  court
 also presuming on the divisions and    
lenity of the assembly1 took  the most  
indefatigable pains to foster in the    
mind of the public1 nay1  in that of all
 ,europe1 pity for the degraded person  
of the king1 and  detestation of the    
sacrilege1 which had been committed on  
the dignity of  royalty4 ,their         
continual theme was the ignominious     
state to which the  most mild of the    
,bourbons was reduced1 by men1 who      
usurped the reins of  government1 and   
trampled on the honours of that august  
and ancient  family4 ,restraining the   
authority of a throne1 which supported  
the most  abominable tyranny1 they were 
shaking the despotism1 which held in    
bondage nine-tenths of the inhabitants  

of the world4 ,these were alarming      
signals to a certain class of men1 to   
the drones and myrmidons who live  on   
the spoil and blood of industry and     
innocence4 ,the intrusion of  knowledge1
 which was sure to render them an       
useless set of beings in  society1 was  
to be prevented by ingenious clamours1  
whilst a great  number of weak1         
well-meaning people1 and still more     
knaves1 enlisted  under their banner4   
,the universal damp1 which the          
revolution had given to the courts of   
,europe1 producing among them a lively  
sympathy for the sombre atmosphere  of  
,versailles1 a general sorrow was       
consequently expressed by all their     
minions1 and expressed with unfeigned   
concern2 for the want of the usual      
routine of amusements tended to make it 
real4 ,hope1 indeed1 began again  to    
animate them1 when the king was         
prevailed on to concert his escape2  yet
 their eagerness to accelerate his      
departure for the frontiers1 where  they

 purposed to erect the royal standard1  
to avail themselves of the  proximity of
 german connections1 was in a great     
degree the cause of  defeating that     
ill-contrived design4    ,a design      
formed very early1 and systematically   
pursued1 was probably  rendered entirely
 abortive by the obstinacy of the court2
 who still  persisted to cherish the    
belief1 that the public opinion was     
changed  only for the moment1 and that  
their deeply rooted love of royalty     
would  bring them back to what they     
termed their duty1 when the             
effervescence  excited by novelty had   
subsided4 ,and thinking1 that the       
cordial  reception given by the         
parisians to the soldiery had           
contributed to  estrange them1 and      
effect the revolution1 they determined  
to regain  their lost ground1 and dazzle
 them by feasts1 instead of stealing on 
their affections by                     
hospitality4--,still1 bearing           
impatiently their  humiliating          

situation1 the courtiers could not help 
vauntingly exposing  their project2 and 
the babbling of joy showed the weakness 
of the heads1  that could so soon be    
intoxicated by hope4    ,a preparatory  
step was thought necessary to awaken a  
sense of allegiance  in the breasts of  
the people1 and to promote a division   
amongst them1 if  not their entire      
concurrence1 after the cabinet should   
have securely in  their possession the  
person of the king2 and this division   
would then  enable them to calculate    
their strength1 and act accordingly4    
,for this  purpose1 in spite of the     
comments that had been made on the      
festivity at  ,versailles1 which seemed 
before to insult the misery of the      
people1 and  greatly tended to provoke  
the exertions that overturned the       
,bastille and  changed the whole face of
 things1 they projected another         
entertainment  to seduce the military1  
encouraged to throng round the court1   
whilst  famine was at the very gates of 

,paris4 ,but previously the old french  
guards1 who had been incorporated with  
the garde-bourgeoise1 began to  manifest
 some symptoms of discontent at not     
being allowed to guard the  person of   
the king4 ,whether they considered their
 honour as wounded1 or  were spirited up
 to aspire at regaining this privilege1 
is not decided2  but it is clear1 that  
the court1 either to facilitate the     
entrance of  fresh troops1 or from a    
real dislike to men1 who had taken such 
an  active part in disconcerting their  
first plot1 opposed their wish2 and     
even the municipality1 as has been      
already noticed1 was induced to         
request1 that a regiment of fresh troops
 might be called in to guard the  person
 of the king1 and keep the peace1 which 
this trifling dispute1  swelled into an 
insurrection in the report1 threatened  
to disturb4    ,the king's body-guards1 
whose time of service expired the first 
of  october1 were still retained with   
those who came to replace them2 and an  

immense crowd of supernumeraries        
continued daily to increase this corps1 
which had not yet sworn allegiance to   
the nation4 ,the officers1 in           
particular1 flocked to ,versailles1     
amounting to between eleven or twelve   
hundred1 constantly parading together4  
,the universal topic was  commiseration 
of the king's fate1 and insinuations    
respecting the  ambition of the         
assembly4 ,yet1 even there the court    
party seemed to be  prevailing3 a       
president attached to loyalty was       
elected2 and ,mirabeau's  remonstrances1
 respecting the augmentation of the     
troops1 were  disregarded4    ,mean     
time1 not only the officers of the new  
regiment1 but those of the  national    
guards1 were caressed by the court1     
whilst the citizens1 with  more         
sagacity1 were lavish of their attention
 to the soldiers4 ,the  cabinet had not 
sufficient discernment to perceive1 that
 the people were  now to be led1 not    
driven2 and the popular promoters of    

anarchy1 to  serve their private        
interest1 availed themselves1           
unfortunately1 but too  well of this    
want of judgment4--,thus whilst one     
party1 declaiming on the  necessity of  
order1 seemed to be endeavouring to     
rivet on them the  chains of servitude1 
the other lifted them above the law with
 vain  glorious notions of their        
sovereignty4--,and this sovereignty of  
the  people1 the perfection of the      
science of government1 only to be       
attained  when a nation is truly        
enlightened1 consisted in making them   
tyrants2  nay the worst of tyrants1     
because the instruments of mischief of  
the  men1 who pretended to be           
subordinate to their will1 though acting
 the  very part of the ministers whom   
they execrated4                         
,,chapter ,,ii4  ,,entertainment ,,at   
,,versailles4 ,,the ,,national ,,cockade
 ,,trampled ,,under ,,foot4 ,a  ,,mob   
,,of ,,women ,,proceed ,,to ,,the       
,,hotel-,,de-,,ville--,,and ,,thence    

,,to ,,versailles4 ,,the  ,,king',s     
,,reply ,,to ,,the ,,national           
,,assembly',s ,,request1 ,,that ,,he    
,,would ,,sanction   ,,the ,,declaration
 ,,of ,,rights ,,and ,,the ,,first      
,,articles ,,of ,,the ,,constitution4   
,,debates ,,on ,,it4 ,,arrival ,,of     
,,the ,,mob ,,at ,,versailles4 ,,the    
,,king ,,receives ,a      ,,deputation  
,,from ,,the ,,women1 ,,and ,,sanctions 
,,the ,,decree ,,for ,,the ,,free       
,,circulation ,,of ,,grain4 ,,the       
,,assembly ,,summoned4 ,,la ,,fayette   
,,arrives ,,with ,,the   ,,parisian     
,,militia4 ,,the ,,palace ,,attacked    
,,by ,,the ,,mob--,,who ,,are           
,,dispersed ,,by  ,,the ,,national      
,,guards4 ,,reflections ,,on ,,the      
,,conduct ,,of ,,the ,,duke ,,of        
,,orleans4      ,on the first of        
october1 in consequence of these fresh  
machinations1 a  magnificent            
entertainment was given in the name of  
the king's  body-guards2 but really by  
some of their principal officers1 at the

  opera-house of the castle4 ,the       
affectation of excluding the dragoons1  
distinguished for their attachment to   
liberty1 seemed to show1 but too        
plainly1 the end in view1 rendered still
 more conspicuous by the unusual        
familiarity of persons of the first rank
 with the lowest soldiers4    ,when     
their heads were heated by a sumptuous  
banquet1 by the tumult of an  immense   
crowd1 and the great profusion of       
delicious wines and  liqueurs1 the      
conversation1 purposely turned into one 
channel1 became  unrestrained1 and a    
chivalrous scene completed the folly4   
,the queen1 to  testify her satisfaction
 for the homage paid to her1 and the    
wishes  expressed in her favour1        
exhibited herself to this half-drunken  
multitude2 carrying the dauphin in her  
arms1 whom she regarded with a  mixture 
of sorrow and tenderness1 and seeming to
 implore in his favour  the affection   
and zeal of the soldiers4    ,this      
acting1 for it is clear that the whole  

was a preconcerted business1  was still 
more intoxicating than the wine4--,the  
exclamation vive le roi1  vive la reine1
 resounded from all sides1 and the royal
 healths were  drunk over drawn swords1 
whilst that of the nation was rejected  
with  contempt by the body-guards4 ,the 
music1 the choice could not have been   
the effect of chance1 played the well   
known air--,o ,richard6 ,o my king6  the
 universe abandons thee#cb6 and during  
this moment of fascination  some voices1
 perhaps bribed for the occasion1       
mingled execrations  against the        
assembly4 ,a grenadier even darted from 
the midst of his  comrades1 and accusing
 himself of having been unfaithful to   
his prince1  endeavoured1 several times1
 to plunge his sword into his bosom4    
,his held  arm was not indeed allowed to
 search for the disloyal heart2 but some
  blood was permitted to flow--and this 
theatrical display of sensibility1      
carried to the highest pitch1 produced  
emotions almost convulsive in the  whole

 circle1 of which an english reader can 
scarcely form an idea4 ,the  king1 who  
is always represented as innocent1      
though always giving proofs  that he    
more than connived at the attempts to   
recover his power1 was  likewise        
prevailed on to show himself at this    
entertainment4 ,and some of  the same   
soldiery1 who had refused to second the 
former project of the  cabal1 were now  
induced to utter insults and menaces    
against the very  authority1 they then  
supported4 #8,the national cockade1'    
exclaimed  ,mirabeau1 #8that emblem of  
the defenders of liberty1 has been torn 
in  pieces1 and stamped under foot2 and 
another ensign put in it's              
place4--,yes2 even under the eye of the 
monarch1 who allowed himself to be      
styled--,restorer of the rights of his  
people1 they have dared to hoist  a     
signal of faction4'    ,the same scene  
was renewed two days after1 though with 
less parade2 and  invitations for a     
similar treat were given for the        

following week4    ,the rumour          
respecting them1 which reached ,paris1  
contained many  exaggerated             
circumstances2 and was regarded as the  
commencement of fresh  hostilities1 on  
the part of the court4 ,the cry now was1
 that the stunned  aristocracy had again
 reared it's head2 and that a number of 
old  officers1 chevaliers of ,st4       
,louis1 had signed a promise to join the
  body-guards in a new attempt4 ,this   
list was said to contain thirty         
thousand signatures2 and idle as the    
tale was1 it seemed to be confirmed  by 
the appearance of white and black       
cockades1 which inconsiderate           
individuals displayed at the risk of    
their lives4 ,these1 said the           
parisians1 are the first indications of 
a projected civil war--the court  wish  
only to have the king safe to head them 
before they speak out3--he  ought1      
therefore1 to be removed to ,paris1     
inferred the politicians of  the palais 
royal4 ,the exasperating of the people  

in this manner was  certainly the most  
absurd blundering folly that could have 
ruined a  party1 who apparently saw the 
necessity of dividing the people in     
order  to conquer them4 ,it was1 in     
fact1 a species of madness1 and can be  
accounted for only by recollecting the  
ineffable contempt really felt by  the  
court for the canaille1 which made them 
still imagine the  revolution to be only
 a temporary convulsion1 not believing  
it possible1  in spite of the daily     
events1 that they could be crushed by   
the mass  they despised4 ,their         
presumption proceeded from their        
ignorance1 and was  incurable4    ,the  
queen was supposed to be at the head of 
this weak conspiracy1 to  withdraw the  
soldiery from siding with the people4   
,she had presented  colours to the      
national guards of ,versailles1 and when
 they waited on  her to express their   
thanks1 she replied1 with the most      
winning  affability1 #8the nation and   
the army ought to be as well affected to

 the  king as we ourselves are4 ,i was  
quite charmed with what passed on       
thursday4' ,this was the day of the     
feast4    ,a scarcity of bread1 the     
common grievance of the revolution1     
aggravated  the vague fears of the      
parisians1 and made the people so       
desperate1 that  it was not difficult to
 persuade them to undertake any         
enterprize2 and  the torrent of         
resentment and enthusiasm required only 
to be directed to  a point to carry     
every thing before it4 ,liberty was the 
constant watch  word2 though few knew in
 what it consisted4--,it seems1 indeed1 
to be  necessary1 that every species of 
enthusiasm should be fermented by       
ignorance to carry it to any height4    
,mystery alone gives full play to  the  
imagination1 men pursuing with ardour   
objects indistinctly seen or            
understood1 because each man shapes them
 to his taste1 and looks for  something 
beyond even his own conception1 when he 
is unable to form a  just idea4    ,the 

parisians were now continually brooding 
over the wrongs they had  heretofore    
only enumerated in a song2 and changing 
ridicule into  invective1 all called for
 redress1 looking for a degree of public
  happiness immediately1 which could not
 be attained1 and ought not to  have    
been expected1 before an alteration in  
the national character  seconded the new
 system of government4    ,from the     
enjoyment of more freedom than the women
 of other parts of the  world1 those of 
,france have acquired more independence 
of spirit than  any others2 it has1     
therefore1 been the scheme of designing 
men very  often since the revolution1 to
 lurk behind them as a kind of          
safe-guard1  working them up to some    
desperate act1 and then terming it a    
folly1  because merely the rage of      
women1 who were supposed to be actuated 
only  by the emotions of the moment4    
,early then on the fifth of october a   
multitude of women by some impulse were 
collected together2 and  hastening to   

the htel-de-ville obliged every female  
they met to  accompany them1 even       
entering many houses to force others to 
follow in  their train4    ,the         
concourse1 at first1 consisted mostly of
 market women1 and the  lowest refuse of
 the streets1 women who had thrown off  
the virtues of  one sex without having  
power to assume more than the vices of  
the other4  ,a number of men also       
followed them1 armed with pikes1        
bludgeons1 and  hatchets2 but they were 
strictly speaking a mob1 affixing all   
the odium  to the appellation it can    
possibly import2 and not to be          
confounded with  the honest multitude1  
who took the ,bastille4--,in fact1 such 
a rabble has  seldom been gathered      
together2 and they quickly showed1 that 
their  movement was not the effect of   
public spirit4    ,they first talked of 
addressing the committee appointed by   
the  municipality to superintend the    
operations necessary to obtain provision
  for the city1 and to remonstrate      

respecting their inattention or         
indifference to the public calamity4    
,mean time a new cord was fixed to  the 
notorious lamp-iron1 where the amusement
 of death was first  tolerated4 ,the    
national guards1 forming a hedge of     
bayonets to prevent  the women from     
entering the hotel1 kept them in        
suspense a few  moments4--,when1        
uttering a loud and general cry1 they   
hurled a volley of  stones at the       
soldiers1 who1 unwilling1 or ashamed1 to
 fire on women1  though with the        
appearance of furies1 retreated into the
 hall1 and left  the passage free4 ,they
 then sought for arms2 and breaking open
 the doors  of the magazines1 soon      
procured fusils1 cannons1 and           
ammunition2 and  even took advantage of 
the confusion to carry off money and    
notes  belonging to the public4 ,in the 
interim some went to search for the     
volunteers of the ,bastille1 and chose a
 commander from among them to  conduct  
the party to ,versailles2 whilst others 

tied cords to the  carriages of the     
cannons to drag them along4--,but these1
 being mostly  marine artillery1 did not
 follow with the alacrity necessary to  
accord  with their wishes2 they1        
therefore1 stopped several coaches1     
forcing the  men to get out and the     
ladies to join them2 fastening the      
cannons  behind1 on which a number of   
the most furious mounted1 brandishing   
whatever weapon they had found1 or the  
matches of the cannons4 ,some  drove the
 horses1 and others charged themselves  
with the care of the  powder and ball1  
falling into ranks to facilitate their  
march4 ,they took  the road by the      
,champs ,elyses about noon1 to the      
number of four  thousand1 escorted by   
four or five hundred men1 armed with    
every thing  on which they could lay    
their hands4    ,mean time the tocsin   
sounded from all parts2 the french      
guards1 still  urged on by wounded      
pride1 loudly declared1 that the king   
ought to be  brought to ,paris2 and many

 of the citizens1 not on duty1 concurred
 with  the rest of the national guards  
in the same opinion1 particularly those 
accustomed to attend the harangues at   
the ,palais ,royal4 ,la ,fayette1       
refusing to accompany1 endeavoured to   
calm them4 ,but finding1 that the       
tumult increased1 and that prayers were 
giving place to menaces1 he  offered to 
make known to the king1 at their head1  
the wishes of the  capital1 if the      
municipality gave him orders to this    
effect4 ,their  council was now         
assembled2 yet prolonging the           
deliberation till between  four and five
 o'clock in the afternoon1 the people   
became so very  impatient1 that it was  
thought prudent to allow them to set    
out3 and the  exclamations of the       
populace proved how easy it was to      
govern1 or lead  them astray1 by every  
fresh hope4    ,few events have happened
 at ,paris1 that have not been          
attributed by the  different parties to 
the machinations of the leaders on the  

other side2  to blacken whose           
characters1 when they had the upper     
hand1 the most  audacious falsehoods    
have been industriously circulated2 the 
detection  of which has induced many    
calm observers to believe1 that all the 
accounts of plots and conspiracies were 
fabricated in the same manner2  not     
considering1 that even the universality 
of these suspicions was a  proof of the 
intriguing character of the people1 who 
from a knowledge of  themselves became  
thus mistrustful of others4 ,it was     
currently reported1  that very          
considerable sums had been distributed  
amongst the mob1 before  it marched to  
,versailles2 and1 though many fabulous  
stories of showers  of gold have since  
been retailed by the credulous1 this    
seems1 from  their subsequent conduct1  
to have had some foundation3 for nothing
 like  the heroism1 the                 
disinterestedness1 appeared1 which1 in  
most other  risings of the parisians1   
has formed a striking contrast with     

their  barbarity2 sometimes sufficient  
to oblige us1 lamenting the delusions of
  ignorance1 to give the soft name of   
enthusiasm to cruelty2 respecting  the  
intention1 though detesting the effects4
 ,now1 on the contrary1  acting like a  
gang of thieves1 they gave colour to the
 report--that the  first instigators of 
the riot were hired assassins4--,and    
hired by  whom8--,the public voice      
repeats1 on every side1 the despicable  
duke of  ,orleans1 whose immense estate 
had given him an undue influence in the 
bailliages1 and who still exercised all 
the means that cunning could  devise1   
and wealth produce1 to revenge himself  
on the royal family4 ,he  was           
particularly incensed against the queen1
 who having treated him with  the       
contempt which he doubtless merited1 and
 even influenced the king to  banish him
 to one of his country seats1 when he   
uttered some popular  sentiments1 he    
continued to nourish the most implacable
 hatred to her  person1 whilst the      

changing sentiments of the nation       
respecting the  present branch of his   
family excited in him hopes1 that would 
at once  have gratified both his revenge
 and his ambition4    ,there is no      
calculating the mischief which may be   
produced by a  revengeful cunning knave1
 possessing the forcible engine of gold 
to move  his projects1 and acting by    
agency1 which1 like a subterraneous     
fire1  that for a long time has been    
putting the combustible matter into a   
state of fusion1 bursts out             
unexpectedly1 and the sudden eruption   
spreads around terrour and destruction4 
,the agents of despotism1 and of        
vengeful ambition1 employed the same    
means to agitate the minds of the       
parisians2 and covered as they now are  
with foul stains1 it is an              
acknowledgement due to their original   
good  disposition1 to note1 that at this
 period they were so orderly it         
required considerable management to lead
 them into any gross  irregularity of   

conduct4 ,it was1 therefore1 necessary  
for the duke's  instruments to put in   
motion a body of the most desperate     
women2 some of  whom were half famished 
for want of bread1 which had purposely  
been  rendered scarce to facilitate the 
atrocious design of murdering both the  
king and queen in a broil1 that would   
appear to be produced solely by  the    
rage of famine4    ,the shameless manner
 in which the entertainment of the      
officers of the  body-guards had been   
conducted2 the indiscreet visit of the  
queen to  interest the army in the cause
 of royalty1 coming in artfully after   
the  rabble of soldiers had been allowed
 to enter2 together with the  imprudent 
expressions of which she afterwards made
 use2 served as  pretexts1 nay1 may have
 been some of the causes of these women 
suspecting1 that the dearth of bread in 
the capital was owing to the            
contrivance of the court1 who had so    
often produced the same effect to       
promote their sinister purposes4 ,they  

believed then1 that the only sure  way  
to remedy such a grievous calamity1 in  
future1 would be to implore  the king to
 reside at ,paris3 and the national     
militia1 composed of more  orderly      
citizens1 who thought the report of a   
premeditated escape was  not without    
foundation1 imagined1 that they should  
nip a civil war in  the bud1 by         
preventing the king's departure1 and    
separate him  effectually from the      
cabal1 to whom they attributed all his  
misconduct4    ,whilst the multitude    
were advancing1 the assembly were       
considering the  king's reply to their  
request to sanction the declaration of  
rights1 and  the first articles of the  
constitution1 before the supplies were  
granted4 ,the reply was couched in terms
 somewhat vague1 yet it's meaning  could
 not be misunderstood4--,he observed1   
that the articles of the  constitution  
could be judged of only in their        
connection with the whole2  nevertheless
 he thought it natural1 that at the     

moment the nation was  called upon to   
assist the government by a signal act of
 confidence and  patriotism1 they should
 expect to be re-assured respecting     
their  principal                        
interest4--#8,accordingly1' he          
continues1 #8taking it for granted1     
that the first articles of the          
constitution1 which you have presented  
to  me1 united to the completion of your
 labours1 will satisfy the wishes of  my
 people1 and secure the happiness and   
prosperity of the kingdom1  conformably 
to your desire ,i accept them2 but with 
one positive  condition1 from which ,i  
will never depart2 namely1 that from the
 general  result of your deliberations  
the executive power shall have it's     
entire  effect in the hands of the      
monarch4 ,still it remains for me to    
assure  you with frankness1 that1 if ,i 
give my sanction of acceptance to the   
several articles1 which you have laid   
before me1 it is not because they       
indiscriminately give me an idea of     

perfection2 but ,i believe it  laudable 
in me to pay this respect to the wishes 
of the deputies of the  nation1 and to  
the alarming circumstances1 which so    
earnestly press us  to desire above all 
things the prompt re-establishment of   
peace1 order1  and confidence4    #8,i  
shall not deliver my sentiments         
respecting your declaration of the      
rights of man and of citizens4 ,it      
contains excellent maxims proper to     
direct your deliberations2 but          
principles susceptible of application1  
and even of different interpretations1  
cannot be justly appreciated1 and  have 
only need of being so when their true   
sense is determined by the  laws1 to    
which they ought to be the basis4'      
,in the subterfuge employed in this     
answer1 the profound dissimulation of   
the king appears2 and that #8pitiful    
respect for false honour1' which  makes 
a man boggle at a naked untruth1 even   
when uttering a number of  contemptible 
prevarications4 ,thus did he at first   

struggle against every  concession1     
against granting any real freedom to the
 people2 yet  afterwards unable to      
maintain his ground1 he impotently gave 
way before  the storm he had raised1    
every time losing a part of the         
authority which  depended on opinion4   
,the assembly manifested an universal   
discontent4 ,one of the members         
remarked1 that the king withheld his    
acceptance of the declaration of        
rights2 and only yielded to             
circumstances in accepting the          
constitutional articles3 he1 therefore1 
moved1 that no taxes should be  levied1 
before the declaration of rights and the
 constitution should be  accepted1      
without any reservation4--,another      
asserted1 that the king's  reply ought  
to have been counter-signed by one of   
the ministers4 ,what an  absurdity6 yet 
the inviolability of the king standing  
in their way1 it  seemed to be necessary
 to secure ministerial responsibility1  
to render  it null2 not only to prevent 

the ministers from finding shelter      
behind  it1 but to make it utterly      
useless to the king1 who was thus1      
literally  speaking1 reduced to a       
cipher4 ,mirabeau1 however1 after       
alluding with  energy to the            
entertainment1 which1 out of derision1  
had been termed  patriotic1 made three  
or four motions4 ,one was1 #8that no act
 emanating  from the king should be     
declared without the signature of a     
secretary of  state4'--,so inconsistent 
was the man1 who argued with such       
eloquence for  the absolute             
veto3--,another was1 #8that his majesty 
would please to be  explicit2 and not by
 a conditional consent1 extorted by     
circumstances1  leave any doubt of his  
sincere concurrence in the mind of the  
people4'  ,it was also noticed1 to      
corroborate the inference1 that the king
 was  only yielding1 for the moment1 to 
opinions which he hoped to see          
exploded1 that the decree for the       
circulation of grain had been altered   

before the publication1 and the usual   
preamble1 for such is our  pleasure1    
formed a strange contrast with an       
acknowledgement of the  legislative     
rights of the nation4 ,robespierre1     
particularly1 maintained1  that the     
nation had not any need of the          
assistance of the monarch to  constitute
 itself--that the king's reply was not  
an acceptance1 but a  censure2 and1     
consequently1 an attack on the rights of
 the people4    ,this seemed virtually  
the opinion of the assembly1 though     
,mirabeau's  soft style of expressing   
their will was adopted4 ,it was         
particularly in  this decision1 that the
 deputies displayed a great degree of   
the  weakness1 which mistakes temerity  
for courage1 and the shadow of justice  
for verity4--,and affecting to say1 to  
reconcile a contradiction1 that the     
authority of kings is suspended as often
 as the sovereign is occupied in        
framing the elements of the             
constitution1 or altering fundamental   

laws1  they demonstrated the            
inconsistency of their own system1 and  
acknowledged it's absurdity2 which is   
still more flagrantly shown in          
,mirabeau's irrational declaration1     
that1 #8by a pious fiction of the law1  
the king cannot himself deceive2 but the
 grievances of the people  demanding    
victims1 these victims are the          
ministers4'    ,at this juncture of the 
debate the tumultuous concourse of women
 arrived  at ,versailles3 but it must   
not be unnoticed1 that there was a      
number of  men with them1 disguised in  
women's clothes2 which proves1 that this
 was  not1 as has been asserted1 a      
sudden impulse of necessity1 ,there were
  besides men in their own garb armed   
like ruffians1 with countenances        
answerable1 who1 swearing vengeance     
against the queen and the  body-guards1 
seemed to be preparing to put their     
threats in execution4  ,some barbarians1
 volunteers in guilt1 might perhaps have
 joined1 spurred  on solely by the hope 

of plunder1 and a love of tumult2 but it
 is clear1  that the principal movers   
played a surer game4    ,the women had  
taken two routes2 and one party1 without
 arms1 presented  themselves at the gate
 of the assembly1 whilst the other      
clustered round  the palace waiting for 
them4 ,the avenues were already filled  
with  body-guards1 the flanders regiment
 was drawn up in ranks2 in short1 the   
soldiers were gathered together quickly 
in one quarter1 though the  people of   
,versailles were exceedingly alarmed1   
and particularly by the  appearance of  
the vagabonds1 who followed the female  
mob4    ,with some difficulty the women 
were prevailed on to allow a few to     
enter  orderly into the assembly1 with a
 spokesman to make known their demand2  
whilst crowds1 taking refuge in the     
galleries from the rain1 presented      
there the strange sight of pikes1       
fusils1 and tremendous sticks bound     
with iron4 ,their orator represented the
 grievances of the people1 and  the     

necessity of continually providing for  
their subsistence3 he  expressed the    
concern of the parisians on account of  
the slow formation  of the constitution1
 and attributed this delay to the       
opposition of the  clergy4 ,a bishop    
then presided in the absence of         
,mounier1 the president1  who had been  
dispatched by the assembly with their   
expostulatory  petition to the king4 ,a 
deputy1 to spare him the embarrassment  
of a  reply to the insinuation against  
his order1 reprimanded the petitioner   
for calumniating that respectable body4 
,he accordingly made an apology1  yet   
justified himself by declaring1 that he 
only reported the purport of  the       
discontentment of ,paris4 ,they were    
informed1 in reply1 by the              
vice-president1 that a deputation was   
already sent to the king1  requesting   
his sanction of a decree to facilitate  
the interiour  circulation of grain and 
flour3 and finding1 that it was         
impossible to  attend to the business of

 the day1 he adjourned the assembly1    
without  waiting for the return of the  
president4    ,the women about the      
palace entered into conversation with   
the soldiers1  some of whom said1 #8that
 were the king to recover all his       
authority1 the  people would never want 
bread6' ,this indiscreet insinuation    
exasperated  them2 and they replied in  
the language1 that is proverbial for    
being the  most abusive4 ,a fray also   
ensuing1 brought on by a dispute        
relative to  the affair of the cockades1
 one of the body-guards drew his sword1 
which  provoked a national guard of     
,versailles to give him a blow with his 
musket1 that broke his arm4    ,the     
national troops were eager to convince  
the mob1 that they were  equally        
offended at the disrespect paid to the  
emblem of liberty2 and  the flemish     
regiment1 though they were in battle    
array1 made the women  let their rings  
drop into their guns1 to be convinced   
that they were not  charged3 saying1    

#8,it was true1 they had drunk the wine 
of the body  guards2 but what did that  
engage them to do8 ,they had also cried1
 vive  le roi1 as the people themselves 
did every day2 and it was their         
intention to serve him faithfully1 but  
not against the nation6'--with  other   
speeches to the same effect2--adding1   
#8that one of their officers  had       
ordered a thousand cockades2 and they   
knew not why they were not              
distributed6' ,enraged by the tenour of 
this discourse1 a body-guard's  man     
struck one of the soldiers talking thus1
 who1 in return1 fired on  him1 and     
fractured his arm4 ,all was now         
confusion2 and every thing  tended to   
render the body-guards more odious to   
the populace4    ,the king arrived in   
the midst of it from hunting1 and       
admitted at the  same time the          
deputation from the national assembly1  
and an address from  the women4 ,he     
received the latter with great          
affability1 testified his  sorrow on    

account of the scarcity of bread at     
,paris1 and immediately  sanctioned the 
decree1 relative to the free circulation
 of grain1 which  he had just received  
from the assembly4 ,the woman who spoke1
 attempting  to kiss his hand1 he       
embraced her with politeness1 and       
dismissed them in  the most             
gentleman-like manner4 ,they immediately
 rejoined their  companions1 charmed by 
the reception they had met with2 and the
 king  sent orders to the guards not to 
make use of their arms4 ,the count      
d',estaing1 the commander in chief1     
announced likewise to the militia of    
,versailles1 that the body-guards would 
the next day take the oath of           
allegiance to the nation1 and put on the
 patriotic cockade4 #8,they are  not    
worthy1' was the indignant growl of the 
multitude4    ,some women now returning 
to ,paris1 to report the gracious       
behaviour of  the king1 were            
unfortunately maltreated by a detachment
 of body-guards1  commanded by a        

nobleman2 and the volunteers of the     
,bastille coming to  their assistance1  
two men1 and three horses1 were killed  
on the spot4  ,these same irritated     
women meeting1 likewise1 the parisian   
militia1 on  their way to ,versailles1  
gave them an exaggerated description of 
the  conduct of the guards4    ,the     
court now taking the alarm1 fearing that
 their plan would be  defeated1 by the  
king's being obliged to go to ,paris1   
urged him  immediately to get out for   
,metz1 and the carriages were actually  
prepared4 ,it is scarcely credible that 
they would have gone so far  without his
 concurrence4    ,one loaded coach had  
been permitted to go out of the gate2   
but the  national troops beginning to   
suspect what was going forward1 obliged 
it  to re-enter4 ,the king then1 with   
his usual address1 finding his escape   
at that time impracticable1 and not     
wishing to shed blood in forcing his    
way1 made a merit of necessity1 and     
declared he would rather perish than    

see the blood of frenchmen streaming in 
his quarrel6 ,so easy is it for a  man1 
versed in the language of duplicity1 to 
impose on the credulous2  and to impress
 on candid minds a belief of an opinion 
that they would  gladly receive without 
any doubting allay1 did not other       
circumstances  more strongly contradict 
the persuasion4 ,this declaration1      
however1  which was re-echoed with great
 eagerness1 was considered as a manifest
  proof of the purity of his intentions1
 and a mark of his fixed adherence  to  
the cause which he affected to espouse4 
,yet1 to prove the contrary1  it is only
 necessary to observe1 that he put off  
the acceptance of the  declaration of   
rights1 and the first articles of the   
constitution1 till  after the attempt to
 escape was frustrated3 for it was near 
eleven  o'clock when he sent for the    
president1 to put into his hands a      
simple  acceptation1 and to request him 
to convoke the assembly immediately1    
that he might avail himself of their    

counsel at this crisis2 alarmed by  the 
mob without1 who1 exposed to all the    
inclemency of the weather1 it  being a  
very wet and stormy night1 were uttering
 the most horrid  imprecations against  
the queen and the body-guards4    ,a    
drum instantly summoned the assembly2   
and ,la ,fayette arriving with his  army
 in less than an hour after1 the        
president was again called for1 who     
returned to the assembly with the king's
 assurance1 that he had not even        
thought of leaving them1 nor would he   
ever separate himself from the          
representatives of the people4    ,la   
,fayette had previously assured the king
 of the fidelity of the  metropolis1 and
 that he had been expressly sent by the 
municipality of  ,paris to guard his    
august person4 ,a rumour had prevailed1 
ever since the  arrival of the women1   
that the parisian militia were coming to
 second  them2 but as the commune of    
,paris had not determined till late in  
the  afternoon1 the messenger from ,la  

,fayette to the palace could not have   
reached ,versailles long before him3 but
 the court supposing that they  would   
come1 and having heard of the wish of   
the parisians to bring the  king to     
,paris1 where they had always spies to  
give them the earliest  notice of what  
was going forward1 pressed him to set   
out without loss of  time2 still they   
were actuated solely by the desire of   
getting him away1  and not from any     
apprehension that his life was in       
danger4    ,after tranquilizing the     
king1 ,la ,fayette joined the parisian  
militia in  the avenue1 to inform them1 
that the king had sanctioned the decree 
of  the assembly for expediting the more
 speedy circulation of provisions2  that
 he accepted1 without any reservation1  
of the declaration of rights1  with the 
first articles of the constitution1     
declaring at the same time  his unshaken
 resolution to remain among his people2 
and that he  consented also to have a   
detachment of the national troops of    

,paris to  contribute to guard his      
person4    ,joy now took place of dread 
at ,versailles2 and the citizens        
distributed  their addresses amongst the
 soldiers1 offering them lodgings2 they 
having been previously requested1 by the
 beating of a drum1 to receive  as many 
of the parisian militia as they possibly
 could4 ,the rest1 after  passing       
several hours in arms round the palace1 
sought for shelter1 as  the morning     
began to dawn1 in the churches4 ,every  
thing appearing quiet1  the harassed    
king and queen were prevailed on to seek
 the repose they  needed2 and ,la       
,fayette1 about five in the morning1    
retired to his  chamber1 to write to the
 municipality an account of his         
proceedings1  before he likewise        
endeavoured to snatch a little rest4    
,scarcely an hour after1 the restless   
mob1 great part of which had taken      
refuge in the hall and galleries of the 
assembly1 began to prowl about4  ,the   
most decent of the women1 who had been  

pressed into the service1  stole away   
during the night4 ,the rest1 with the   
whole gang of ruffians1  rushed towards 
the palace1 and finding its avenues     
unguarded1 entered  like a torrent2 and 
some among them1 most probably1         
conceived1 that this  was the moment to 
perpetrate the crime for which they had 
been drawn  from their lurking-holes in 
,paris4    ,insulting one of the        
body-guards who opposed their entrance1 
he fired1  and killed a man4 ,this was a
 fresh pretext for entering to search   
for  the murderer1 as he was termed by  
these rioters2 and driving the guards   
before them up the grand stair-case1    
they began to break into the  different 
apartments1 vowing vengeance against the
 body-guards1 in which  were mingled the
 bitterest curses1 all levelled at the  
queen4    ,catching one unfortunate     
guard by himself1 he was dragged down   
the  stairs2 and his head1 instantly    
severed from his body1 was mounted on a 
pike1 which rather served to irritate   

than glut the fury of the  monsters1 who
 were still hunting after blood or      
plunder4    ,the most desperate found   
their way to the queen's chamber1 and   
left for  dead the man who courageously 
disputed their entrance4 ,but she had   
been  alarmed by the tumult1 though the 
miscreants were not long in making      
their way good1 and1 throwing a         
wrapping-gown around her1 ran1 by a     
private passage1 to the king's          
apartment1 where she found the dauphin2 
but the king was gone in quest of her3  
he1 however1 quickly returning1  they   
waited together in a horrid state of    
suspense4 ,several of the  guards1 who  
endeavoured to keep back the mob1 were  
wounded2 yet all this  happened in a    
very short space of time4    ,the       
promptitude and rapidity of this        
movement1 taking every circumstance     
into consideration1 affords additional  
arguments in support of the  opinion1   
that there had been a premeditated      
design to murder the royal  family4 ,the

 king had granted all they asked the    
evening before2 sending  away great part
 of the multitude delighted with his    
condescension2 and  they had received no
 fresh provocation to excite this       
outrage4 ,the  audacity of the most     
desperate mob has never led them1 in the
 presence  of a superiour force1 to     
attempt to chastise their governors2 and
 it is  not even probable that banditti1
 who had been moved by the common causes
  of such insurrections1 should have    
thought of murdering their sovereign1   
who1 in the eyes of the greater number  
of frenchmen1 was still shrouded  by    
that divinity1 tacitly allowed to hover 
round kings1 much less have  dared to   
attempt it4    ,la ,fayette was quickly 
roused2 and1 sending his aides-de-camp  
to  assemble the national guards1 he    
followed the ruffians with equal        
celerity4 ,they had actually forced the 
king's apartment at the moment he       
arrived2 and the royal family were      
listening to the increasing tumult as   

the harbinger of death1--when all was   
hushed1--and the door opening a  moment 
after1 the national guards entered      
respectfully1 saying they came  to save 
the king2--#8and we will save you too1  
gentlemen1' added they1  addressing the 
body-guards1 who were in the chamber4   
,the vagabonds were now pursued in their
 turn1 and driven from room to  room1 in
 the midst of their pillage1 for they   
had already begun to  ransack that      
sumptuously furnished palace4 ,from the 
palace they repaired  to the stables1   
still intent on plunder1 and carried    
away some horses1  which were as quickly
 retaken4 ,every where they pursued the 
body-guards1  and every where the       
generous parisian troops1 forgetting    
their piqued  pride and personal        
animosity1 hazarded their lives to save 
them4--,till1  at length1 order was     
perfectly established4    ,such was the 
termination of this most mysterious     
affair2 one of the  blackest of the     
machinations that have since the        

revolution disgraced  the dignity of    
man1 and sullied the annals of humanity4
 ,disappointed in  their main object1   
these wretches beheaded two of the      
guards1 who fell  into their hands2 and 
hurried away towards the metropolis1    
with the  insignia of their atrocity on 
the points of the barbarous instruments 
of vengeance--showing in every instance1
 by the difference of their  conduct1   
that they were a set of monsters1       
distinct from the people4    ,whilst    
nature shudders at imputing to any one a
 plan so inhuman1 the  general character
 and life of the duke of ,orleans       
warrant the belief1  that he was the    
author of this tumult4 ,and when we     
compare the  singularly ferocious       
appearance of the mob1 with the brutal  
violation of  the apartment of the      
queen1 there remains little doubt1 but  
that a  design was on foot against the  
lives of both her and the king4--,yet in
  this1 and most other instances1 the   
man has wanted courage to consummate    

his villany1 when the plot he had been  
following up was ripe4    ,it is1       
perhaps1 not the least noble faculty of 
the mind1 to question the  motives of   
action1 which are repugnant to the      
feelings of nature1  outraging the most 
sacred feelings of the human soul4 ,but 
it is the  developement of a character1 
that enables us to estimate it's        
depravity2  and had the conduct of that 
wretch ever varied1 the veil of mystery 
might still have remained unrent1 and   
posterity1 hearing of the judgment  of  
the chtelet1 would have believed ,egalit
 innocent4 ,the court had  become highly
 obnoxious to the nation1 and with it   
the king was  implicated1 in spite of   
the efforts of ,mirabeau1 and some other
  favourites of the people1 to render   
him respectable2 so that there  wanted  
not a plausible3 reason for suspecting1 
that the duke might  aspire at obtaining
 the regency1 though ,louis was neither 
massacred1 nor  allowed to escape4 ,but 
the present scheme being disconcerted1  

fear1 for  a while1 damped his ambition3
 and ,la ,fayette1 finding that these   
suspicions still formed a pretext to    
excite commotions1 with a view to  quiet
 the minds of the parisians1 seconded   
the importunities of the  duke1 who     
wished to visit ,england1 till the      
affair blew over4 ,the king1  therefore1
 was prevailed on to give him a nominal 
commission1 to be made  use of as a plea
 to obtain liberty of absence from the  
assembly1 of  which he was a member4    
,he was certainly very apprehensive of  
an investigation of the business2  and  
revenge and ambition equally giving way 
to personal fear1 he left  his          
colleagues to finish the constitution1  
and his agents to recover his  fame1 by 
representing the story as a calumny of  
the royalists1 against  whom the public 
were sufficiently enraged to credit any 
aspersion4    ,the bold tone he assumed 
the july following was far from being a 
proof  of his innocence2 because it was 
not very probable1 that a cunning man   

should take his measures in such a      
critical affair without due             
precaution4--,on the contrary1 he would 
labour to sink so entirely into  the    
back-ground of the plot1 as to render it
 difficult1 if not  impossible1 for him 
to be perceived4 ,and this was          
practicable to a man1  who was willing1 
in the promotion of his purpose1 to     
dissipate the most  splendid fortune4   
,to a disposition for low intrigue was  
added also a decided preference of  the 
grossest libertinism1 seasoned with     
vulgarity1 highly congenial with  the   
manners of the heroines1 who composed   
the singular army of the  females4      
,having taken up his abode in the centre
 of the palais royal1 a very  superb    
square1 yet the last in which a person  
of any delicacy1 not to  mention        
decorum1 or morality1 would choose to   
reside2 because1 excepting  the people  
in trade1 who found it convenient1 it   
was entirely occupied  by the most      
shameless girls of the town1 their      

hectoring protectors1  gamesters1 and   
sharpers of every denomination4 ,in     
short1 by the vilest  of women2 by      
wretches1 who lived in houses from which
 the stript bodies1  often found in the 
,seine1 were supposed to be             
thrown#cc--;and he was  considered as   
the grand sultan of this den of         
iniquity4 ,living thus in  the lap of   
crime1 his heart was as tainted as the  
foul atmosphere he                      
breathed4--,incapable of affection1 his 
amours were the jaundiced caprices  of  
satiety2 and having proved in the affair
 of ,keppel and d',orvilliers1  that he 
wanted the courage of a man1 he appears 
to have been as fit for  dark under-hand
 assassinations as he was unequal to any
 attempt flowing  from virtuous         
ambition4    ,that a body of women      
should put themselves in motion to      
demand relief of  the king1 or to       
remonstrate with the assembly respecting
 their tardy  manner of forming the     
constitution1 is scarcely probable2 and 

that they  should have undertaken the   
business1 without being instigated by   
designing persons1 when all ,paris was  
dissatisfied with the conduct and  the  
procrastination of the assembly1 is a   
belief which the most  credulous will   
hardly swallow1 unless they take into   
their view1 that  the want of bread was 
the bye word used by those1 who in a    
great measure  produced it2 for         
perceiving the turn the public mind was 
taking1 they  drove the mob on to       
perpetrate the mischief long designed1  
under the  sanction of national         
indignation4    ,it is evident1 that the
 court was not concerned1 however       
desirous the  cabinet might have been to
 render the people discontented with the
 new  order of things2 for they seem to 
have been entirely occupied with the    
scheme1 on which they built the most    
sanguine expectation1 of prevailing  on 
the king to retire to ,metz4 ,besides1  
the course the project took is a        
circumstantial evidence1 that1 designed 

against ,versailles1 it was not         
meditated there4    ,that the ,chtelet  
should not have been able to            
substantiate any proof of  his guilt1 is
 not in the least extraordinary4--,it is
 only necessary to be  acquainted with  
the general propensity of the french to 
intrigue1 to  know1 that there is no    
service1 however dangerous1 or purpose1 
however  black1 for which gold will not 
find a man4 ,there were wretches1 who   
would have considered exile as an escape
 from the continual dread of  menaced   
detection1 could they carry with them a 
sum to commence anew  their fraudulent  
practices in another country2 and money 
the duke did  not spare to gratify his  
passions1 though sordidly mean when they
 were  out of the question4    ,his     
remaining also in ,england for such a   
length of time1 merely to avoid         
disturbing the tranquillity of the      
state1 when it was possible1 that by    
it's disorder and agitation he might    
gain a sceptre1 cannot be credited2     

because it is well known1 that he never 
sacrificed any selfish  consideration to
 the general good4 ,such examples of    
self-denial and true  patriotism are    
uncommon1 even from the most virtuous   
men2 and it is idle  to imagine1 that a 
man1 whom all the world allowed to be   
vicious1 should  risk the popularity1   
which he had been at such pains to      
acquire1 unless  it were to guard his   
life4    ,on his return1 nevertheless1  
finding that all was safe1 he appeared  
in  the assembly1 provoking the inquiry 
from which he had before skulked2  and  
braving detection1 when the danger was  
passed1 he had the address to  persuade 
the public of his innocence4 ,nay1 the  
mock patriots of the day1  pretending to
 despise princes1 were glad to have a   
prince on their side4    ,the report1   
that ,mirabeau1 always an avowed        
advocate for a limited  monarchy1 was   
concerned in the plot1 was certainly a  
calumny2 because it  is notorious1 that 
he had an habitual contempt for the     

duke1 which had  even produced a decided
 coolness some time before4 ,and1 if any
  collateral proof of his innocence were
 necessary1 it would be sufficient  to  
add1 that the abb ,maury1 his competitor
 in eloquence1 and opponent  in opinion1
 declared there was no ground for his   
impeachment4    ,it is unfortunate1     
indeed1 that some of the villains       
employed were not  immediately          
interrogated4 ,the soldiery1 in chasing 
them from one quarter  to another1 gave 
proofs not only of their intrepidity1   
but attachment to  the new government2  
and the only reprehensible part of their
 conduct was  suffering the murderers to
 escape1 instead of apprehending as many
 as  they could1 and bringing them to   
condign punishment4 ,such an omission1  
it was to be feared1 would produce the  
most fatal consequences1 because        
impunity never fails to stimulate the   
wretches1 who have arrived at such  a   
pitch of wickedness1 to commit fresh1   
and1 if possible1 still more  atrocious 

crimes2 and it is by suspending the     
decrees of justice1 that  hardened      
miscreants1 made so by oppression1 give 
full scope to all the  brutality of     
their sanguinary dispositions4    ,this 
neglect1 in their turn1 was not the     
least reprehensible or fatal  errour1   
produced by the factions of the         
assembly4 ,the crisis demanded  vigour  
and boldness4--,the laws had been       
trampled on by a gang of banditti  the  
most desperate--,the altar of humanity  
had been profaned--,the dignity  of     
freedom had been tarnished--,the        
sanctuary of repose1 the asylum of  care
 and fatigue1 the chaste temple of a    
woman1 ,i consider the queen  only as   
one1 the apartment where she consigns   
her senses to the bosom of  sleep1      
folded in it's arms forgetful of the    
world1 was violated with  murderous     
fury--,the life of the king was         
assailed1 when he had acceded to  all   
their demands--,and1 when their plunder 
was snatched from them1 they  massacred 

the guards1 who were doing their        
duty4--,yet these brutes were  permitted
 triumphantly to escape--and dignified  
with the appellation of  the people1    
their outrage was in a great measure    
attempted to be excused  by those       
deputies1 who sometimes endeavoured to  
gain an undue influence  through the    
interposition of the mob4    ,at this   
moment the assembly ought to have known1
 that the future  respectability of     
their laws must greatly depend on the   
conduct they  pursued on the present    
occasion2 and it was time to show the   
parisians1  that1 giving freedom to the 
nation1 they meant to guard it by a     
strict  adherence to the laws1 that     
naturally issue from the simple         
principles  of equal justice they were  
adopting2 punishing with just severity  
all  such as should offer to violate1 or
 treat them with contempt4 ,wisdom1     
precision1 and courage1 are the         
permanent supports of authority--the    
durable pillars of every just           

government1 and they only require to be1
  as it were1 the porticos of the       
structure1 to obtain for it1 at once1   
both the admiration and obedience of the
 people4 ,to maintain  subordination in 
a state by any other means is not merely
 difficult1  but1 for any length of     
time1 impossible4    ,they ought to have
 stood up as one man in support of      
insulted justice2  and by directing the 
arm of the law1 have smothered in embryo
 that  spirit of rebellion and          
licentiousness1 which1 beginning to     
appear in  the metropolis1 it was to be 
feared would attain herculean strength  
by  impunity1 and ultimately overturn1  
with wanton thoughtlessness1 or         
headstrong zeal1 all their labours4     
,yet1 so contrary was their conduct  to 
the dictates of common sense1 and the   
common firmness of rectitude of         
intention1 that they not only permitted 
that gang of assassins to regain  their 
dens2 but instantly submitted to the    
demand of the soldiery1 and  the        

peremptory wish of the parisians--that  
the king should reside within  the walls
 of ,paris4    ,the firmness of conduct1
 which the representatives of a people  
should  always maintain1 had been       
wanting in the assembly from the moment 
their  power had been acknowledged2 for 
instead of being directed by any        
regular plan of proceeding1 a line      
equally marked out by integrity and     
political prudence1 they were hurried   
along by a giddy zeal1 and by a         
burlesque affectation of magnanimity2 as
 puerile as the greater part of  their  
debates were frivolous4 ,whilst their   
vanity was gratified by the  lively     
applauses lavished on their inflated and
 popular declamation1  they set fire to 
the foibles of the multitude1 teaching  
their desperate  demagogues to become   
their rivals in this species of         
eloquence1 till the  plans of the       
leaders of clubs1 and popular societies1
 were generally  admired and pursued4   
,the will of the people being supreme1  

it is not only the duty of their        
representatives to respect it1 but their
 political existence ought to  depend on
 their acting conformably to the will of
 their constituents4  ,their voice1 in  
enlightened countries1 is always the    
voice of reason4  ,but in the infancy of
 society1 and during the advancement of 
the science  of political liberty1 it is
 highly necessary for the governing     
authority  to be guided by the progress 
of that science2 and to prevent1 by     
judicious measures1 any check being     
given to it's advancement1 whilst  equal
 care is taken not to produce the       
miseries of anarchy by  encouraging     
licentious freedom4 ,the national       
assembly1 however1  delighted with their
 blooming honours1 suffered themselves  
to be hurried  forward by a multitude1  
on whom political light had too suddenly
  flashed1 and seemed to have no        
apprehension of the danger1 which has so
  fatally resulted from their tame      
acquiescence4    ,the people of ,paris1 

who have more than their portion of the 
national  vanity1 believed that they had
 produced the revolution2 and thinking  
themselves both the father and mother of
 all the great events1 which had        
happened since it's commencement1 and   
that the national assembly1 whose       
conduct indeed betrayed symptoms of an  
understanding not adult1 ought to  be   
directed by their leading-strings1      
frequently declared1 that liberty  would
 not be secured1 until the court and the
 assembly were brought  within the walls
 of the capital4 ,this was the subject  
of club debates1  decided with          
legislative pomposity1 on the rumour of 
the intended  evasion of the king2 and  
the insult offered to the national      
cockade1 the  first of october1 brought 
them to the determination--that it was  
proper  he should be there4--,such was  
their will1 the capital of the          
nation--now  sovereign4 ,foreseeing     
also1 as they had already dreaded1 that 
the only  security for infant freedom   

would be to guard the court1 and place  
in  the centre of information their     
infant representatives2 whom they       
alternately idolized and suspected4     
,the decorum of manners in a people1    
long subordinate to the authority of    
their magistrates1 had on several       
occasions1 and even on the fifth of     
october1 controlled the impetuous       
populace1 who had undertaken1 or  joined
 in the enterprize2 and considering the 
manner in which they were  pushed on1 it
 is extraordinary1 that they did not    
commit greater  depredations4 ,for with 
all their brutality1 and eagerness to   
plunder the  palace1 they did not       
attempt to pillage ,versailles1 though  
half  famished4    ,the army of ,la     
,fayette indeed1 principally composed of
 citizens1 behaved  not only in an      
irreproachable manner2 but the celerity 
of their  movements1 their obedience to 
the discipline which they had so        
promptly  acquired1 joined to the       
clemency and moderation they displayed1 

excited  the gratitude and respect of   
all parties4--,still1 trembling for the 
rights that had been so gloriously      
snatched out of the clinched hand of    
despotism--it was the wish of all the   
leaders to have the king at ,paris4  ,it
 was in fact the general sentiment at   
,paris1 and of the greater part  of the 
nation4    ,that city1 which had        
contributed so essentially in effecting 
the  revolution1 viewed with anxiety the
 influence of a party spirit in the     
assembly1 though themselves split into  
several political sects1 who  almost    
execrated each other4 ,and finding1 that
 the indecision of the  members had     
given fresh hopes to the court1 which at
 last might render  their emancipation  
merely a dazzling meteor1 they were     
restlessly bent  on having the king and 
assembly more immediately in their      
power4 ,the  report1 likewise1 of       
,louis's intended escape2 which had he  
effected1 it  was probable1 that he     
would have been in the next place       

prevailed on to  join the discontented  
princes and nobles1 thus producing a    
schism in the  kingdom1 that must       
infallibly have brought on not only a   
cruel civil  war1 but have embroiled    
them with all the different powers of   
,europe2  was a still more urgent       
motive3 for whilst they were constantly 
affecting to believe in the goodness of 
his heart1 they never showed by  their  
conduct1 that they had any confidence in
 his sincerity4--,their  opinion of the 
assembly was equally unfixed4--,one day 
a deputy was  extolled as the hero of   
liberty1 and the next denounced as a    
traitorous  pensioner of despotism4     
,these sentiments were dangerous to the 
authority of the new government2  but   
they were sentiments which never would  
have been promulged1 even had  they     
existed1 had the assembly acted with    
integrity and magnanimity4  ,because1   
though the people do not always reason  
in the most logical or  rhetorical      
style1 yet they generally perceive in   

what consists the  defects of their     
legislators4 ,and in every free         
government1 when the  deputies of the   
state1 convened to form laws1 do not act
 with precision  and judgment1 they will
 be sure to lose their respectability2  
and the  consequence will be a          
dissolution of all authority4    ,it    
appears to amount to a certainty1 that  
the assembly did not at that  time      
possess the implicit confidence of the  
people1 by their demanding1  that the   
king should be obliged to reside within 
the barriers of the  capital4--,it was  
surely as possible to guard him at      
,versailles as at  ,paris2 and if it    
were necessary1 that he should be kept  
as a prisoner of  state1 or hostage1 the
 government was the proper authority to 
determine  how1 and where3--and in      
giving up this necessary privilege of   
authority1  they surrendered their power
 to the multitude of ,paris4    ,or     
rather a minority of the assembly1 who  
wished to be removed to the  capital1 by

 exciting and humouring the people1     
directed the majority2  and in the same 
manner has the dignity of the           
representative body ever  since been    
trampled under foot by selfishness1 or  
the blind zeal of  vanity4--,it is in   
reality from this epocha1 not forgetting
 such a leading  circumstance1 that the 
commencement of the reign of anarchy may
 be  fairly dated4 ,for1 though a       
tolerable degree of order was preserved 
a  considerable time after1 because a   
multitude long accustomed to  servitude 
do not immediately feel their own       
strength2 yet they soon  began to       
tyrannize over one part of their        
representatives1 stimulated by  the     
other4 ,they1 however1 continued to     
respect the decrees of the  national    
assembly especially as there were rarely
 any passed on which  the public opinion
 had not been previously consulted1     
directed as it was  by the popular      
members1 who gained their constant      
suffrage by the stale  trick of crying  

out for more freedom4 ,it was the       
indispensable duty of  the deputies to  
respect the dignity of their            
body--,instead of which1 for  sinister  
purposes1 many of them instructed the   
people how to tyrannize  over the       
assembly2 thus deserting the main       
principle of representation1  the       
respect due to the majority4 ,this first
 grand desertion of the  principles1    
which they affected to adopt in all     
their purity1 led to  public misery2    
involving these short-sighted men in the
 very ruin they  had themselves produced
 by their mean intrigues4    ,the       
authoritative demand of the parisians   
was striking so directly at  the freedom
 of the assembly1 that they must either 
have been conscious  of wanting power1  
or they had no conception of dignity of 
action1  otherwise they would not have  
suffered the requisition of the people  
to  have been complied with4 ,yet they  
seem to have considered it1 if it be    
not paradoxical to assert it1 as an     

advancement of their independence2  or1 
perhaps1 as giving security to their    
authority1 childishly proud of          
regulating the business of the nation1  
though under the influence of the       
parisian despotism4    ,it is true1 such
 things are the natural consequence of  
weakness1 the  effects of inexperience1 
and the more fatal errours of cowardice4
 ,and  such will always be the effects  
of timid1 injudicious measures4 ,men who
  have violated the sacred feelings of  
eternal justice1 except they are        
hardened in vice1 are never afterwards  
able to look honest men in the  face2   
and a legislature1 watched by an        
intelligent public1 a public that       
claims the right of thinking for itself1
 will never after go beyond it1  or pass
 one decree which is not likely to be   
popular4    ,to consult the public mind 
in a perfect state of civilization1 will
 not  only be necessary1 but it will be 
productive of the happiest              
consequences1 generating a government   

emanating from the sense of the  nation1
 for which alone it can legally exist4  
,the progress of reason  being gradual1 
it is the wisdom of the legislature to  
advance the  simplification of it's     
political system1 in a manner best      
adapted to the  state of improvement of 
the understanding of the nation4 ,the   
sudden  change which had happened in    
,france1 from the most fettering tyranny
 to  an unbridled liberty1 made it      
scarcely to be expected1 that any thing 
should be managed with the wisdom of    
experience3 it was morally  impossible4 
,but it is nevertheless a deplorable    
reflection1 that such  evils must follow
 every revolution1 when a change of     
politics equally  material is           
required4--,thus it becomes more        
peculiarly the duty of the  historian to
 record truth2 and comment with freedom4
    ,every nation1 deprived by the      
progress of it's civilization of        
strength  of character1 in changing it's
 government from absolute despotism to  

enlightened freedom1 will1 most         
probably1 be plunged into anarchy1 and  
have to struggle with various species of
 tyranny before it is able to           
consolidate it's liberty2 and that1     
perhaps1 cannot be done1 until the      
manners and amusements of the people are
 completely changed4    ,the refinement 
of the senses1 by producing a           
susceptibility of temper1  which from   
it's capriciousness leaves no time for  
reflection1 interdicts  the exercise of 
the judgment4 ,the lively effusions of  
mind1  characteristically peculiar to   
the french1 are as violent as the       
impressions are transitory3 and their   
benevolence evaporating in sudden  gusts
 of sympathy1 they become cold in the   
same proportion as their  emotions are  
quick1 and the combinations of their    
fancy brilliant4  ,people who are       
carried away by the enthusiasm of the   
moment1 are most  frequently betrayed by
 their imagination1 and commit some     
errour1 the  conviction of which not    

only damps their heroism1 but relaxes   
the nerve  of common exertions4 ,freedom
 is a solid good1 that requires to be   
treated with reverence and              
respect4--,but1 whilst an effeminate    
race of  heroes are contending for her  
smiles1 with all the blandishments of   
gallantry1 it is to their more vigorous 
and natural posterity1 that she  will   
consign herself with all the mild       
effulgence of artless charms4           
,,chapter ,,iii4    ,,the ,,mob ,,demand
 ,,the ,,king',s ,,removal ,,to ,,paris4
 ,,this ,,city ,,described4 ,,the       
,,king ,,repairs ,,to ,,the ,,capital1  
,,escorted ,,by ,a ,,deputation ,,of    
,,the ,,national  ,,assembly ,,and ,,the
 ,,parisian ,,militia4 ,,the ,,king',s  
,,title ,,changed4 ,,proceedings    ,,of
 ,,the ,,national ,,assembly4           
,,reflections ,,on ,,the ,,declaration  
,,of ,,rights4      ,after the wild     
tumult1 on the morning of the #fth of   
october1 abated1 the  king showed       
himself to the people1 in the balcony1  

and the queen  followed with the dauphin
 in her arms4 ,at first1 he vainly      
attempted to  speak2 but ,la ,fayette   
informed the people1 that his majesty   
came forward  to assure them1 that it   
should be the business of his life to   
contribute  to the happiness of his     
people4 ,the king at ,paris1 exclaimed a
 voice1  which was quickly re-echoed by 
the crowd4 #8,my children1' replied the 
king1 #8you wish me to be at ,paris1 and
 ,i will go2 but it is on the           
condition1 that my wife and family      
accompany me4' ,a loud shout of vive  le
 roi testified the extacy of the moment4
 ,the king made a sign to  demand       
silence2 and then1 with tears in his    
eyes addressed them  again4--#8,ah6 my  
children1 run to the relief of my       
guards4' ,immediately  two or three     
appeared in the balcony with the        
national cockade in their  hats1 or the 
cap of liberty on their heads4 ,the king
 threw his arms  round one of them1 and 
the people following his example        

embraced those  whom they had taken     
prisoners in the court4 ,one sentiment  
of gladness  seemed to animate the whole
 concourse of people2 and their         
sensibility  produced as mad            
demonstrations of joy as lately had been
 displayed of  ferocity4 ,the soldiery  
all mingled together1 exchanging swords1
 hats1 or  shoulder belts--exhibiting in
 the most striking manner the prominent 
features of the french character4       
,meanwhile the assembly1 instead of     
instantly examining into the            
particulars of that alarming convulsion1
 and exerting themselves to  cause a    
proper respect to be paid to the        
sovereignty of the law1  childishly gave
 way to the universal transport3 instead
 of considering  the peremptory wish of 
the people to remove the king to ,paris 
as a  distrust of their wisdom1 as well 
as of the veracity of the court1 which  
was in some measure the case1 they      
unanimously agreed to the motion of     
,mirabeau1 seconded by ,barnave1 #8that 

the king and assembly should not be     
separated during the present sessions4' 
,mirabeau1 and other popular  members1  
were probably glad to have the person of
 the king secured1  without being       
obliged to appear1 in an ostensible     
manner1 in the affair2  because they    
always endeavoured to keep a little hold
 on the court1  whilst they led the     
people4 ,such are the pitiful shifts of 
men1 who are  not guided by the compass 
of moral principles1 which alone render 
the  character dignified or consistent4 
,readily then acquiescing in a measure  
the most fatal and contemptible1 they   
decreed1 that the assembly was          
inseparable from the person of the king1
 and sent a deputation to inform  him of
 this resolve1 previous to his          
departure4    ,that ,louis1 finding all 
his projects for the present defeated1  
and after  such a narrow escape for his 
life1 should readily have acceded to the
  demand of the multitude1 is not in the
 least extraordinary4--,but1 that  the  

representatives of the nation should1   
without resistance or  remonstrance1    
have surrendered their authority1 and   
thrown themselves  head-long into the   
heart of a city1 which could be suddenly
 agitated1  and put into the most       
disorderly and dangerous commotion1 by  
the  intrigues or folly of any desperate
 or factious leader of the              
multitude--suffering themselves to be   
environed by it's wall1 shut in by  it's
 barriers--in a word--choosing to live  
in a capacious prison2 for men  forced1 
or drawn into any such situation1 are in
 reality slaves or  prisoners1--almost  
surpasses belief4 ,this absurd conduct1 
in fact1 can be  accounted for only by  
considering the national character1 and 
the  different though equally interested
 views1 of the court and popular        
parties1 in the assembly4               
,independent of the additional incense  
of praise1 with which ,mirabeau  wished 
to be continually regaled1 in the       
metropolis1 he had a decided  preference

 for it1 frequently asserting1 that it  
was the only place  where society was   
truly desirable2 the people and place1  
in spite of  their vices and follies1   
equally attaching the taste they        
cultivated4    ,exclaiming against      
capitals1 the impartial observer must   
acknowledge1  that much has been done to
 render this a superb monument of human 
ingenuity4    ,the entrance into ,paris1
 by the ,thuilleries1 is certainly very 
magnificent4 ,the roads have an         
expansion that agrees with the idea of a
  large luxurious city1 and with the    
beauty of the buildings in the noble    
square1 that first attracts the         
travellers eye4 ,the lofty trees on each
  side of the road1 forming charming    
alleys1 in which the people walk and    
lounge with an easy gaiety peculiar to  
the nation1 seem calculated  equally to 
secure their health and promote their   
pleasure4 ,the barriers1  likewise1 are 
stately edifices1 that tower with       
grandeur1 rendering the  view1 as the   

city is approached1 truly picturesque4  
,but--these very barriers1 built by     
,calonne1 who liked to have ,paris      
compared with ,athens1 excite the most  
melancholy reflections4--,they were     
first erected by despotism to secure the
 payment of an oppressive tax1  and     
since have fatally assisted to render   
anarchy more violent by  concentration1 
cutting off the possibility of innocent 
victims escaping  from the fury1 or the 
mistake1 of the moment4--,thus          
miscreants have had  sufficient         
influence to guard these barriers1 and  
caging the objects of  their fear or    
vengeance1 have slaughtered them2 or1   
violating the purity  of justice1 have  
coolly wrested laws hastily formed to   
serve sinister  designs--changing it's  
sacred sword into a dagger1 and terming 
the  assassin's stab the stroke of      
justice1 because given with the mock    
ceremonials of equity1 which only       
rendered the crime more atrocious4 ,the 
tyrant1 who1 bounding over all          

restraint1 braves the eternal law he    
tramples on1 is not half so detestable  
as the reptile who crawls under  the    
shelter of the principles he violates4  
,such has been the effect of  the       
enclosure of ,paris3 and the reflections
 of wounded humanity  disenchanting the 
senses1 the elegant structures1 which   
served as gates  to this great prison1  
no longer appear magnificent porticos4  
,still the eye of taste rests with      
pleasure on its buildings and           
decorations3 proportion and harmony     
gratify the sight1 whilst airy          
ornaments seem to toss a simple1 playful
 elegance around4 ,the heavens  too     
smile1 diffusing fragrance3 and as the  
inhabitants trip along the  charming    
boulevard1 the genial atmosphere seems  
instantaneously to  inspire the animal  
spirits1 which give birth to the varied 
graces that  glide around4 ,clustering  
flowers1 with luxuriant pomp1 lend their
  sweets1 giving a freshness to the     
fairy scene--nature and art combining   

with great felicity to charm the senses1
 and touch the heart1 alive to  the     
social feelings1 and to the beauties    
most dear to fancy4    ,why starts the  
tear of anguish to mingle with          
recollections that  sentiment           
fosters--even in obedience to           
reason8--,for it is wise to be          
happy6--and nature and virtue will      
always open inlets of joy to the  heart4
 ,but how quickly vanishes this prospect
 of delights6 of delights  such as man  
ought to taste6--,the cavalcade of death
 moves along1 shedding  mildew over all 
the beauties of the scene1 and blasting 
every joy6 ,the  elegance of the palaces
 and buildings is revolting1 when they  
are viewed  as prisons1 and the         
sprightliness of the people disgusting1 
when they  are hastening to view the    
operations of the guillotine1 or        
carelessly  passing over the earth      
stained with blood4 ,exasperated        
humanity then1  with bitterness of soul1
 devotes the city to destruction2 whilst

 turning  from such a nest of crimes1 it
 seeks for consolation only in the      
conviction1 that1 as the world is       
growing wiser1 it must become happier2  
and that1 as the cultivation of the soil
 meliorates a climate1 the  improvement 
of the understanding will prevent those 
baneful excesses of  passion which      
poison the heart4    ,a deputation of   
the national assembly accompanied the   
royal family to  ,paris1 as well as the 
parisian militia4 ,a number of the women
 preceded  them1 mounted on the         
carriages which they had taken in their 
way to  ,versailles1 and on the cannons1
 covered with national cockades1 and    
dragging in the dirt those that were    
considered as symbols of  aristocracy4  
,soon after they set out1 either by     
chance1 or1 which is  more probable1    
pursuant to a plan contrived by some    
person in power1  forty or fifty loads  
of wheat and flour fell into the        
procession1 just  before the king1      
giving weight to the exclamation of the 

populace1 that  they had brought the    
baker and his family to town4    ,the   
assembly continued to sit at ,versailles
 till the nineteenth2 and  several      
interesting debates were entered upon1  
particularly one brought  forward by the
 bishop of ,autun1 respecting the       
appropriation of the  estates of the    
clergy to supply the exigences of the   
government4 ,the  abolition of lettres  
de cachet was considered1 and a fresh   
organization of the municipalities      
proposed2 but as none of these  motions 
were carried before they were more fully
 discussed at ,paris1 it  seems best to 
bring the different arguments on those  
important subjects  under one point of  
view4    ,settling the articles of the  
constitution1 however1 which previously 
occupied them1 several frivolous        
discussions1 respecting the style of    
expression to be adopted to signify the 
king's acceptance of their  decrees1    
were lengthened out with warmth1 and    
puerile objections made to  ancient     

forms--that were merely forms4 ,after   
some disputation1 the title  of the     
monarch was changed from king of        
,france1 with the rest of the  formule1 
for that of king of the ,french2 because
 ,rousseau had remarked1  perhaps       
fastidiously1 that the title ought to   
express rather the chief  of the people1
 than the master of the soil4    ,the   
intended removal of the assembly to     
,paris also produced several warm       
debates4 ,this resolution1 indeed1      
excited1 not without reason1            
apprehensions in the breasts of some of 
the deputies1 relative to their         
personal safety1 should they1 in future1
 venture to oppose any of the  motions  
of the popular party1 which that party  
instructed the mob of  ,paris to        
support4    ,the president1 ,mounier1   
pleading his bad state of health1 begged
 to be  dismissed2 and ,lally-,tolendal1
 thinking that he could not stem the    
torrent1 retired from public business at
 the same time4 ,a great many of  the   

members hinting their fears1 that the   
assembly would not be free at  ,paris1  
on various pretexts demanded such a     
number of passports1 as to  make the    
president express some apprehension lest
 the assembly should  thus indirectly   
dissolve itself2 whilst other deputies  
uttered a  profusion of indecent        
sarcasms on a conduct1 which the        
behaviour of the  populace1 and even of 
these very orators1 seemed to justify4  
,mirabeau1  who so earnestly desired to 
be at ,paris1 ridiculed with unbecoming 
bitterness every opposition made to the 
removal of the assembly2 yet1  listening
 to the representation1 that the        
allowing so many malecontents  to retire
 into the provinces might produce       
dangerous fermentations1 he  proposed   
that no passport should be granted1 till
 the deputy who  demanded it had made   
known his reason for so doing to the    
assembly4 ,a  letter from the king1     
notifying his intention of residing most
 part of  his time at ,paris1 and       

expressing his assurance1 that they did 
not mean  to separate themselves from   
him1 now requested them to send         
commissioners to ,paris1 to search for a
 proper place1 where they might  in     
future hold their sessions4 ,they       
accordingly determined to go  thither1  
conformably to the decree of the sixth  
of october1 when a  convenient situation
 should be found4    ,after this        
determination1 several members gave an  
account of the gross  insults they had  
received at ,paris4 ,one in particular1 
who was not  obnoxious to the public1   
narrowly escaped with life1 only because
 he was  mistaken for a deputy against  
whom the mob had vowed vengeance4       
,another1  who had also been insulted1  
with proper spirit moved1 that a decree 
respecting libels should instantly be   
passed4 #8,are we1' he asked1 #8to be   
led to liberty only by licentiousness8  
,no2 the people1 deceived and           
intoxicated1 are rendered furious4 ,how 
many times 7he added7 have ,i  lamented 

the impetuosity of this assembly1 who   
have accustomed the  public1 seated in  
our galleries1 to praise1 to blame1 to  
deride our  opinions1 without           
understanding them4--,and who has       
inspired them with  this audacity8'--,he
 was interrupted by signs of            
disapprobation2 and  personalities now  
disgraced the debate1 in which ,mirabeau
 mingled  satirical observations and    
retorts1 that did more credit to his    
abilities than to his heart4 ,but1 a day
 or two after1 recollecting  himself1 he
 presented the plan of a decree to      
prevent riots1 which he  introduced1 by 
saying1 that it was an imitation1 though
 not a copy1 of  the ,english riot act4 
,the evening before the departure of the
 assembly for ,paris1 passports  being  
still demanded with earnestness1 a      
decree was made1 #8that  passports      
should be granted only for a short and  
determinate time1 on  account of urgent 
business2 and that unlimited passports1 
in cases of  ill health1 should not be  

granted before the deputies were        
replaced by  their substitutes2' and    
further1 cutting a knot that might have 
revived  old claims and animosities1 had
 it been brought forward alone1 they    
decreed1 #8that in future the           
substitutes should be nominated by the  
citizens at large2 and that1 eight days 
after the first session at  ,paris1     
there should be a call of the house2    
suspending till then the  consideration 
of the propriety of printing and sending
 to the provinces  the list of the      
absent deputies4'    ,the constraining  
so many members to remain at their      
posts1 and  condemning a man to a state 
of ignominious servitude1 whilst they   
were  talking of nothing but liberty1   
was as contemptibly little1 as the      
policy was injudicious4 ,for if the king
 pretended to acquiesce in their        
measures the better to disguise his real
 intention1 which doubtless was  to fly 
as soon as he could find an opportunity1
 or was at liberty1 what  did they gain8

 ,for as they must have known1 that his 
emancipation would  be the consequence  
of his acceptance of the constitution1  
his  imprisonment could only tend to    
retard their operations3 yet they had   
neither the magnanimity to allow him to 
depart with an handsome stipend1  if    
such were his wish2 nor to grant him    
such a portion of power1 in the  new    
constitution1 as would1 by rendering him
 respectable in his own  eyes1 have     
reconciled him to the deprivation of the
 rest4 ,but1 as things  were settled1 it
 was morally certain1 that1 whenever his
 friends were  ready1 a blow would be   
directed against them1 which they were  
then as  well prepared to meet as they  
could be at a subsequent period4        
,under the influence of fixed systems1  
certain moral effects are as  infallible
 as physical4--,that every insidious    
attempt would be made by  the courts of 
,europe1 to overturn the new government 
of ,france1 was  therefore certain2 and1
 unless they had all been overturned at 

the same  time1 was as much to be       
expected as any effect from a natural   
cause4 ,the  most likely mean then to   
have parried the evil would have been a 
decided  firmness of conduct1 which1    
flowing from a real love of justice1    
produces true magnanimity2 and not a    
parading affectation of the virtues  of 
romans1 with the degenerate minds of    
their posterity4    ,precision1 wisdom1 
and courage1 never fail to secure the   
admiration and  respect of all          
descriptions of people2 and every       
government thus  directed will keep in  
awe it's licentious neighbours4 ,but    
fear and  timidity betray symptoms of   
weakness1 that1 creating contempt and   
disrespect1 encourage the attempts of   
ambitious despots2 so that the  noblest 
causes are sometimes ruined or vilified 
by the folly or  indiscretion of their  
directors4 ,all ,europe saw1 and all    
good men saw  with dread1 that the      
french had undertaken to support a      
cause1 which  they had neither          

sufficient purity of heart1 nor maturity
 of judgment1  to conduct with          
moderation and prudence2 whilst         
malevolence has been  gratified by the  
errours they have committed1 attributing
 that  imperfection to the theory they  
adopted1 which was applicable only to   
the folly of their practice4            
,however1 frenchmen have reason to      
rejoice1 and posterity will be          
grateful1 for what was done by the      
assembly4    ,the economy of government 
had been so ably treated by the writers 
of the  present age1 that it was        
impossible for them1 acting on the great
 scale  of public good1 not to lay the  
foundations of many useful plans1 as    
they  reformed many grievous and        
grinding abuses4--,accordingly we find1 
though  they had not sufficient         
penetration to foresee the dreadful     
consequences  of years of anarchy1 the  
probable result of their manner of      
proceeding1  still by following1 in some
 degree1 the instructions of their      

constituents1 who had digested1 from the
 bright lines of philosophical  truths1 
the prominent rules of political        
science1 they1 in laying the  main      
pillars of the constitution1 established
 beyond a possibility of  obliteration1 
the great principles of liberty and     
equality4    ,it is allowed by all      
parties1 that civilization is a         
blessing1 so far as  it gives security  
to person and property1 and the milder  
graces of taste  to society and manners4
 ,if1 therefore1 the polishing of man1  
and the  improvement of his intellect1  
become necessary to secure these        
advantages1 it follows1 of course1 that 
the more general such  improvement      
grows1 the greater the extension of     
human happiness4    ,in a savage state  
man is distinguished only by superiority
 of genius1  prowess1 and eloquence4 ,i 
say eloquence1 for ,i believe1 that in  
this  stage of society he is most       
eloquent1 because most natural4 ,for it 
is  only in the progress of governments1

 that hereditary distinctions1  cruelly 
abridging rational liberty1 have        
prevented man from rising to  his just  
point of elevation1 by the exercise of  
his improveable  faculties4    ,that    
there is a superiority of natural genius
 among men does not admit  of dispute2  
and that in countries the most free     
there will always be  distinctions      
proceeding from superiority of judgment1
 and the power of  acquiring more       
delicacy of taste1 which may be the     
effect of the  peculiar organization1 or
 whatever cause produces it1 is an      
incontestible truth4 ,but it is a       
palpable errour to suppose1 that men of 
every class are not equally susceptible 
of common improvement3 if  therefore it 
be the contrivance of any government1 to
 preclude from a  chance of improvement 
the greater part of the citizens of the 
state1 it  can be considered in no other
 light than as a monstrous tyranny1 a   
barbarous oppression1 equally injurious 
to the two parties1 though in  different

 ways4 ,for all the advantages of       
civilization cannot be felt1  unless it 
pervades the whole mass1 humanizing     
every description of  men--and then it  
is the first of blessings1 the true     
perfection of man4    ,the melioration  
of the old government of ,france arose  
entirely from a  degree of urbanity     
acquired by the higher class1 which     
insensibly  produced1 by a kind of      
natural courtesy1 a small portion of    
civil  liberty4 ,but1 as for political  
liberty1 there was not the shadow of it2
  or could it ever have been generated  
under such a system3 because1  whilst   
men were prevented not only from        
arriving at public offices1 or  voting  
for the nomination of others to fill    
them1 but even from  attaining any      
distinct idea of what was meant by      
liberty in a practical  sense1 the great
 bulk of the people were worse than     
savages2 retaining  much of the         
ignorance of barbarians1 after having   
poisoned the noble  qualities of nature 

by imbibing some of the habits of       
degenerate  refinement4 ,to the national
 assembly it is1 that ,france is        
indebted for  having prepared a simple  
code of instruction1 containing all the 
truths  necessary to give a             
comprehensive perception of political   
science2 which  will enable the ignorant
 to climb the mount of knowledge1 whence
 they  may view the ruins of the        
ingenious fabric of despotism1 that had 
so  long disgraced the dignity of man by
 it's odious and debasing claims4       
,the declaration of rights contains an  
aggregate of principles the most        
beneficial2 yet so simple1 that the most
 ordinary capacity cannot fail  to      
comprehend their import4 ,it begins by  
asserting1 that the rights of  men are  
equal1 and that no distinctions can     
exist in a wholesome  government1 but   
what are founded on public utility4     
,then showing1 that  political          
associations are intended only for the  
preservation of the  natural and        

imprescriptible rights of man1 which are
 his liberty1  security of property1 and
 resistance against oppression2 and     
asserting  also1 that the nation is the 
source of all sovereignty2 it           
delineates1  in a plain and perspicuous 
manner1 in what these rights1 and this  
sovereignty1 consist4 ,in this          
delineation men may learn1 that1 in the 
exercise of their natural rights1 they  
have the power of doing whatever  does  
not injure another2 and that this power 
has no limits1 which are  not determined
 by law--the laws being at the same time
 an expression of  the will of the      
community1 because all the citizens of  
the state1 either  personally1 or by    
their representatives1 have a right to  
concur in the  formation4    ,thus1     
having taught the citizens the          
fundamental principles of a  legitimate 
government1 it proceeds to show how the 
opinion of each may  be ascertained2    
which he has a right to give personally1
 or by his  representatives1 to         

determine the necessity of public       
contributions1  their appropriation1    
mode of assessment1 and duration4       
,the simplicity of these principles1    
promulged by the men of genius of  the  
last and present ages1 and their        
justness1 acknowledged by every         
description of unprejudiced men1 had not
 been recognised by any senate  or      
government in ,europe2 and it was an    
honour worthy to be reserved for  the   
representatives of twenty-five millions 
of men1 rising to the sense  and feeling
 of rational beings1 to be the first to 
dare to ratify such  sacred and         
beneficial truths--truths1 the existence
 of which had been  eternal2 and which  
required only to be made known1 to be   
generally  acknowledged--truths1 which  
have been fostered by the genius of     
philosophy1 whilst hereditary wealth and
 the bayonet of despotism have          
continually been opposed to their       
establishment4    ,the publicity of a   
government acting conformably to the    

principles of  reason1 in               
contradistinction to the maxims of      
oppression1 affords the  people an      
opportunity1 or at least a chance1 of   
judging of the wisdom  and moderation of
 their ministers2 and the eye of        
discernment1 when  permitted to make    
known it's observations1 will always    
prove a check on  the profligacy or     
dangerous ambition of aspiring men4--,so
 that in  contemplating the extension of
 representative systems of polity1 we   
have  solid ground on which to rest the 
expectation--that wars and their        
calamitous effects will become less     
frequent1 in proportion as the  people1 
who are obliged to support them with    
their sweat and blood1 are  consulted   
respecting their necessity and          
consequences4    ,such consultations can
 take place under representative systems
 of  government only--under systems     
which demand the responsibility of their
  ministers1 and secure the publicity of
 their political conduct4 ,the          

mysteries of courts1 and the intrigues  
of their parasites1 have  continually   
deluged ,europe with the blood of it's  
most worthy and heroic  citizens1 and   
there is no specific cure for such      
evils1 but by enabling  the people to   
form an opinion respecting the subject  
of dispute4    ,the court of            
,versailles1 with powers the most ample1
 was the most busy  and insidious of any
 in ,europe2 and the horrours which she 
has  occasioned1 at different periods1  
were as incalculable1 as her ambition   
was unbounded1 and her councils base1   
unprincipled1 and dishonourable4  ,if1  
then1 it were only for abolishing her   
sway1 ,europe ought to be  thankful for 
a change1 that1 by altering the         
political systems of the  most improved 
quarter of the globe1 must ultimately   
lead to universal  freedom1 virtue1 and 
happiness4    ,but it is to be presumed1
 when the effervescence1 which now      
agitates the  prejudices of the whole   
continent1 subsides1 the justness of the

  principles brought forward in the     
declaration of the rights of men and    
citizens will be generally granted2 and 
that governments1 in future1  acquiring 
reason and dignity1 feeling for the     
sufferings of the people1  whilst       
reprobating the sacrilege of tyranny1   
will make it their  principal object1 to
 counteract it's baneful tendency1 by   
restraining  within just bounds the     
ambition of individuals4                
,,chapter ,,iv4   ,,progress ,,of       
,,reform4 ,,the ,,encyclopedia4         
,,liberty ,,of ,,the ,,press4           
,,capitals4   ,,the ,,french ,,not      
,,properly ,,qualified ,,for ,,the      
,,revolution4 ,,savage ,,compared       
,,with ,,civilized ,,man4 ,,effects ,,of
 ,,extravagance--,,of ,,commerce--,,and 
,,of          ,,manufactures4 ,,excuse  
,,for ,,the ,,ferocity ,,of ,,the       
,,parisians4      ,people thinking for  
themselves have more energy in their    
voice1 than any  government1 which it is
 possible for human wisdom to invent2   

and every  government not aware of this 
sacred truth will1 at some period1 be   
suddenly overturned4 ,whilst men in a   
savage state preserve their             
independence1 they adopt no regular     
system of policy1 nor ever attempt  to  
digest their rude code of laws into a   
constitution1 to ensure  political      
liberty4 ,consequently we find in every 
country1 after it's  civilization has   
arrived at a certain height1 that the   
people1 the  moment they are displeased 
with their rulers1 begin to clamour     
against  them2 and1 finally rejecting   
all authority but their own will1 in    
breaking the shackles of folly or       
tyranny1 they glut their resentment by  
the mischievous destruction of the works
 of ages1 only considering them  as the 
moments of their servitude4    ,from the
 social disposition of man1 in          
proportion as he becomes  civilized1 he 
will mingle more and more with society4 
,the first interest  he takes in the    
business of his fellow-men is in that of

 his neighbour2  next he contemplates   
the comfort1 misery1 and happiness of   
the nation to  which he belongs1        
investigates the degree of wisdom and   
justice in the  political system1 under 
which he lives1 and1 striding into the  
regions  of science1 his researches     
embrace all human kind4 ,thus he is     
enabled to  estimate the portion of evil
 or good which the government of his    
country  produces1 compared with that of
 others2 and the comparison1 granting   
him  superiour powers of mind1 leads him
 to conceive a model of a more  perfect 
form4    ,this spirit of inquiry first  
manifests itself in hamlets2 when his   
views  of improvement are confined to   
local advantages3 but the approximation 
of different districts leading to       
further intercourse1 roads of           
communication are opened1 until a       
central or favourite spot becomes the   
vortex of men and things4 ,then the     
rising spires1 pompous domes1 and       
majestic monuments1 point out the       

capital2 the focus of information1 the  
reservoir of genius1 the school of arts1
 the seat of voluptuous  gratification1 
and the hot-bed of vice and immorality4 
,the centrifugal rays of knowledge and  
science now stealing through the        
empire1 the whole intellectual faculties
 of man partake of their  influence1 and
 one general sentiment governs the civil
 and political  body4 ,in the progress  
of these improvements the state         
undergoing a  variety of changes1 the   
happiness or misery produced occasions a
  diversity of opinions2 and to prevent 
confusion1 absolute governments  have   
been tolerated by the most enlightened  
part of the people4 ,but1  probably1    
this toleration was merely the effect of
 the strong social  feelings of men2 who
 preferred tranquillity1 and the        
prosperity of their  country1 to a      
resistance1 which1 judging from the     
ignorance of their  fellow citizens1    
they believed would bring more harm than
 good in it's  train4 ,in short1 however

 long a combination of tyranny has      
retarded the  progress1 it has been one 
of the advantages of the large cities of
  ,europe to light up the sparks of     
reason1 and to extend the principles  of
 truth4    ,such is the good and evil   
flowing from the capitals of states1    
that  during the infancy of governments1
 though they tend to corrupt and        
enervate the mind1 they accelerate the  
introduction of science1 and give  the  
tone to the national sentiments and     
taste4    ,but this influence is        
extremely gradual2 and it requires a    
great length  of time1 for the remote   
corners of the empire to experience     
either the  one1 or the other of these  
effects4 ,hence we have seen the        
inhabitants  of a metropolis feeble and 
vitiated1 and those of the provinces    
robust  and virtuous4 ,hence we have    
seen oppositions in a city 7riots as    
they  are called7 to illegal governments
 instantly defeated1 and their leaders  
hanged or tortured2 because the judgment

 of the state was not  sufficiently     
matured to support the struggle of the  
unhappy victims in a  righteous cause4  
,and hence it has happened1 that the    
despots of the  world have found it     
necessary to maintain large standing    
armies1 in  order to counteract the     
effects of truth and reason4    ,the    
continuation of the feudal system1      
however1 for a great length of  time1 by
 giving an overgrown influence to the   
nobility of ,france1 had  contributed1  
in no small degree1 to counteract the   
despotism of her  kings4 ,thus it was   
not until after the arbitrary           
administration of  ,richelieu1 who had  
terrified the whole order by a tyranny  
peculiar to  himself1 that the insidious
 ,mazarine broke the independent spirit 
of the  nation by introducing the sale  
of honours2 and that ,louis ,,xiv1 by   
the  magnificence of his follies1 and   
the meretricious decorations of stars1  
crosses1 and other marks of distinction1
 or badges of slavery1 drew the  nobles 

from their castles2 and1 by             
concentrating the pleasures and  wealth 
of the kingdom in ,paris1 the luxury of 
the court became  commensurate to the   
product of the nation4 ,besides1 the    
encouragement  given to enervating      
pleasures1 and the venality of titles1  
purchased  either with money1 or ignoble
 services1 soon rendered the nobility as
  notorious for effeminacy as they had  
been illustrious for heroism in the     
days of the gallant ,henry4    ,the arts
 had already formed a school1 and men of
 science and literature  were hurrying  
from every part of the kingdom to the   
metropolis1 in  search of employment and
 of honour2 and whilst it was giving    
it's tone  to the empire1 the parisian  
taste was pervading ,europe4    ,the    
vanity of leading the fashions1 in the  
higher orders of society1 is  not the   
smallest weakness produced by the       
sluggishness into which people  of      
quality naturally fall4 ,the depravity  
of manners1 and the sameness of         

pleasure1 which compose a life of       
idleness1 are sure to produce an        
insupportable ennui2 and1 in proportion 
to the stupidity of the man1  or as his 
sensibility becomes deadened1 he has    
recourse to variety1  finding a zest    
only from a new creation of charms2 and 
commonly the most  unnatural are        
necessary to rouse sickly1 fastidious   
senses4 ,still in the  same degree as   
the refinement of sentiment1 and the    
improvement of taste  advance1 the      
company of celebrated literary          
characters is sought after  with        
avidity2 and from the prevalence of     
fashion1 the empire of wit  succeeds the
 reign of formal insipidity1 after the  
squeamish palate has  been rendered     
delicate even by the nauseous banquets  
of voluptuousness4    ,this is the      
natural consequence of the improvement  
of manners1 the  harbinger of reason2   
and from the ratio of it's advancement  
throughout  society1 we are enabled to  
estimate the progress of political      

science4  ,for no sooner had the        
disquisition of philosophical subjects  
become  general in the select parties of
 amusement1 extending by degrees to     
every class of society1 than the rigour 
of the ancient government of  ,france   
began to soften2 till it's mildness     
became so considerable1 that            
superficial observers have attributed   
the exercise of lenity in the           
administration to the wisdom and        
excellence of the system itself4    ,a  
confederacy of philosophers1 whose      
opinions furnished the food of          
colloquial entertainment1 gave a turn   
for instructive and useful reading  to  
the leaders of circles1 and drew the    
attention of the nation to the          
principles of political and civil       
government4 ,whilst by the compilation  
of the ,encyclopedia1 the repository of 
their thoughts1 as an abstract  work1   
they eluded the dangerous vigilance of  
absolute ministers2 thus in  a body     
disseminating those truths in the       

economy of finance1 which1  perhaps1    
they would not have had sufficient      
courage separately to have  produced in 
individual publications2 or1 if they    
had1 they would most  probably have been
 suppressed4    ,this is one of the few 
instances of an association of men      
becoming  useful1 instead of being      
cramped by joint exertions4 ,and the    
cause is  clear3--the work did not      
require a little party spirit2 but each 
had a  distinct subject of investigation
 to pursue with solitary energy4 ,his   
destination was traced upon a calm sea1 
which could not expose him to  the      
,scylla or ,charybdis of vanity or      
interest4    ,the economists1 carrying  
away the palm1 from their opponents1    
showed  that the prosperity of a state  
depends on the freedom of industry2 that
  talents should be permitted to find   
their level2 that the unshackling of    
commerce is the only secret to render it
 flourishing1 and answer more           
effectually the ends for which it is    

politically necessary2 and that the     
imposts should be laid upon the surplus 
remaining1 after the husbandman  has    
been reimbursed for his labour and      
expences4    ,ideas so new1 and yet so  
just and simple1 could not fail to      
produce a  great effect on the minds of 
frenchmen2 who1 constitutionally        
attached  to novelty and ingenious      
speculations1 were sure to be enamoured 
with a  prospect of consolidating the   
great advantages of such a novel and    
enlightened system2 and without         
calculating the danger of attacking old 
prejudices2 nay1 without ever           
considering1 that it was a much easier  
task to pull down than to build up1 they
 gave themselves little trouble  to     
examine the gradual steps by which other
 countries have attained  their degree  
of political improvement4    ,the many  
vexatious taxes1 which under the french 
government not only  enervated the      
exertions of unprivileged persons1      
stagnating the live  stream of trade1   

but were extremely teasing              
inconveniences to every  private man1   
who could not travel from one place to  
another without  being stopped at       
barriers1 and searched by officers of   
different  descriptions1 were almost    
insuperable impediments in the way of   
the  improvements of industry3 and the  
abridgment of liberty was not more      
grievous in it's pecuniary consequences1
 than in the personal  mortification of 
being compelled to observe regulations  
as troublesome  as they were at variance
 with sound policy4    ,irritations of  
the temper produce more poignant        
sensations of disgust  than serious     
injuries4 ,frenchmen1 indeed1 had been  
so long accustomed to  these vexatious  
forms1 that1 like the ox who is daily   
yoked1 they were  no longer galled in   
spirit1 or exhaled their angry          
ebullitions in a  song4 ,still it might 
have been supposed1 that after          
reflecting little1  and talking much1   
about the sublimity and superiour       

excellence of the  plans of french      
writers above those of other nations1   
they would  become as passionate for    
liberty1 as a man restrained by some    
idle  religious vow is to possess a     
mistress1 to whose charms the           
imagination  has lent all it's own world
 of graces4    ,besides1 the very manner
 of living in ,france gives a lively    
turn to the  character of the people2   
for by the destruction of the animal    
juices1 in  dressing their food1 they   
are subject to none of that dulness1 the
  effect of more nutritive diet in other
 countries2 and this gaiety is          
increased by the moderate quantity of   
weak wine1 which they drink at  their   
meats1 bidding defiance to phlegm4 ,the 
people also living entirely  in villages
 and towns are more social2 so that the 
tone of the capital1  the instant it had
 a note distinct from that of the court1
 became the  key of the nation2 though  
the inhabitants of the provinces        
polished  their manners with less danger

 to their morals1 or natural simplicity 
of  character4 ,but this mode of        
peopling the country tended more to     
civilize  the inhabitants1 than to      
change the face of the soil1 or lead to 
agricultural improvements4 ,for it is by
 residing in the midst of their  land1  
that farmers make the most of it1 in    
every sense of the word--so  that the   
rude state of husbandry1 and the        
awkwardness of the implements  used by  
these ingenious people1 may be imputed  
solely to this cause4    ,the situation 
of ,france was likewise very favourable 
for collecting the  information1        
acquired in other parts of the world4   
,paris1 having been  made a thoroughfare
 to all the kingdoms on the continent1  
received in  it's bosom strangers from  
every quarter2 and itself resembling a  
full  hive1 the very drones buzzed into 
every corner all the sentiments of      
liberty1 which it is possible for a     
people to possess1 who have never  been 
enlightened by the broad sunshine of    

freedom2 yet more romantically          
enthusiastic1 probably1 for that very   
reason4 ,paris1 therefore1 having  not  
only disseminated information1 but      
presented herself as a bulwark to       
oppose the despotism of the court1      
standing the brunt of the fray1 seems   
with some reason1 to pride herself on   
being the author of the  revolution4    
,though the liberty of the press had not
 existed in any part of the  world1     
,england and ,america excepted1 still   
the disquisition of political  questions
 had long occupied the intelligent parts
 of ,europe2 and in  ,france1 more than 
in any other country1 books written with
 licentious  freedom were handed from   
house to house1 with the circumspection 
that  irritates curiosity4 ,not to lay  
great stress on the universality of the 
language1 which made one general opinion
 on the benefits arising from  the      
advancement of science and reason       
pervade the neighbouring states1        
particularly ,germany2 where original   

compositions began to take place of     
that laborious erudition1 which being   
employed only in the elucidation  of    
ancient writers1 the judgment lies      
dormant1 or is merely called into       
action to weigh the import of words     
rather than to estimate the value of    
things4 ,in ,paris1 likewise1 a knot of 
ingenious1 if not profound  writers1    
twinkled their light into every circle2 
for being caressed by  the great1 they  
did not inhabit the homely recesses of  
indigence1  rusticating their manners as
 they cultivated their understandings2  
on  the contrary1 the finesse required  
to convey their free sentiments in      
their books1 broken into the small shot 
of innuendoes1 gave an oiliness  to     
their conversation1 and enabled them to 
take the lead at tables1 the            
voluptuousness of which was grateful to 
philosophers1 rather of the  epicurean  
than the stoic sect4    ,it had long    
been the fashion to talk of liberty1 and
 to dispute on  hypothetical and logical

 points of political economy2 and these 
disputations disseminated gleams of     
truth1 and generated more demagogues    
than had ever appeared in any modern    
city4--,the number exceeded1 perhaps1   
any comparison with that of ,athens     
itself4    ,the habit also of passing a 
part of most of their evenings at some  
theatre gave them an ear for harmony of 
language1 and a fastidious taste  for   
sheer declamation1 in which a           
sentimental jargon extinguishes all  the
 simplicity and fire of passion3 the    
great number of play-houses#cd1  and the
 moderate prices of the pit and         
different ranges of boxes1  bringing it 
within the compass of every citizen to  
frequent the  amusement so much beloved 
by the french4    ,the arrangement of   
sounds1 and the adjustment of masculine 
and feminine  rhymes1 being the secrets 
of their poetry1 the pomp of diction    
gives a  semblance of grandeur to common
 observations and hackneyed sentiments2 
because the french language1 though     

copious in the phrases that give  each  
shade of sentiment1 has not1 like the   
italian1 the english1 the  german1 a    
phraseology peculiar to poetry2 yet it's
 happy turns1  equivocal1 nay even      
concise expressions1 and numerous       
epithets1 which1  when ingeniously      
applied1 convey a sentence1 or afford   
matter for half a  dozen1 make it better
 adapted to oratorical flourishes than  
that of any  other nation4 ,the french  
therefore are all rhetoricians1 and they
 have a  singular fund of superficial   
knowledge1 caught in the tumult of      
pleasure  from the shallow stream of    
conversation2 so that if they have not  
the  depth of thought which is obtained 
only by contemplation1 they have all    
the shrewdness of sharpened wit2 and    
their acquirements are so near  their   
tongue's end1 that they never miss an   
opportunity of saying a  pertinent      
thing1 or tripping up1 by a smart       
retort1 the arguments with  which they  
have not strength fairly to wrestle4    

,every political good carried to the    
extreme must be productive of evil2  yet
 every poison has it's antidote2 and    
there is a pitch of luxury and          
refinement1 which1 when reached1 will   
overturn all the absolute  governments  
in the world4 ,the ascertainment of     
these antidotes is a task  the most     
difficult2 and whilst it remains        
imperfect1 a number of men  will        
continue to be the victims of mistaken  
applications4 ,like the  empirics1 who  
bled a patient to death to prevent a    
mortification from  becoming fatal1 the 
tyrants of the earth have had recourse  
to cutting  off the heads1 or torturing 
the bodies1 of those persons who have   
attempted to check their sway1 or doubt 
their omnipotence4 ,but1 though         
thousands have perished the victims of  
empirics1 and of despots1 yet the       
improvements made both in medicine and  
moral philosophy have kept a  sure1     
though gradual pace4--,and1 if men have 
not clearly discovered a  specific      

remedy for every evil1 physical1 moral1 
and political1 it is to  be presumed1   
that the accumulation of experimental   
facts will greatly  tend to lessen them 
in future4    ,whilst1 therefore1 the   
sumptuous galas of the court of ,france 
were the  grand source of the refinement
 of the arts1 taste became the antidote 
to  ennui2 and when sentiment had taken 
place of chivalrous and gothic          
tournaments1 the reign of philosophy    
succeeded that of the imagination4  ,and
 though the government1 enveloped in    
precedents1 adjusted still the  idle    
ceremonials1 which were no longer       
imposing1 blind to the  imperceptible   
change of things and opinions1 as if    
their faculties were  bound by an       
eternal frost1 the progress was         
invariable2 till1 reaching a  certain   
point1 ,paris1 which from the particular
 formation of the empire  had been such 
an useful head to it1 began to be the   
cause of dreadful  calamities1 extending
 from individuals to the nation1 and    

from the  nation to ,europe4 ,thus it   
is1 that we are led to blame those1 who 
insist1 that1 because a state of things 
has been productive of good1 it  is     
always respectable2 when1 on the        
contrary1 the endeavouring to keep      
alive any hoary establishment1 beyond   
it's natural date1 is often  pernicious 
and always useless4    ,in the infancy  
of governments1 or rather of            
civilization1 courts seem to  be        
necessary to accelerate the improvement 
of arts and manners1 to lead  to that of
 science and morals4 ,large capitals are
 the obvious  consequences of the riches
 and luxury of courts2 but as1 after    
they have  arrived at a certain         
magnitude and degree of refinement1 they
 become  dangerous to the freedom of the
 people1 and incompatible with the      
safety  of a republican government1 it  
may be questioned whether ,paris will   
not  occasion more disturbance in       
settling the new order of things1 than  
is  equivalent to the good she produced 

by accelerating the epocha of the       
revolution4    ,however1 it appears very
 certain1 that should a republican      
government be  consolidated1 ,paris must
 rapidly crumble into decay4 ,it's rise 
and  splendour were owing chiefly1 if   
not entirely1 to the old system of      
government2 and since the foundation of 
it's luxury has been shaken1 and  it is 
not likely that the disparting structure
 will ever again rest  securely on it's 
basis1 we may fairly infer1 that1 in    
proportion as the  charms of solitary   
reflection and agricultural recreations 
are felt1 the  people1 by leaving the   
villages and cities1 will give a new    
complexion  to the face of the          
country--and we may then look for a turn
 of mind more  solid1 principles more   
fixed1 and a conduct more consistent and
  virtuous4    ,the occupations and     
habits of life have a wonderful         
influence on the  forming mind2 so      
great1 that the superinductions of art  
stop the growth  of the spontaneous     

shoots of nature1 till it is difficult  
to distinguish  natural from factitious 
morals and feelings2 and as the energy  
of  thinking will always proceed1 in a  
great measure1 either from our          
education or manner of living1 the      
frivolity of the french character may   
be accounted for1 without taking refuge 
in the old hiding place of              
ignorance--occult causes4    ,when it is
 the object of education to prepare the 
pupil to please every  body1 and of     
course to deceive1 accomplishments are  
the one thing  needful2 and the desire  
to be admired ever being uppermost1 the 
passions  are subjugated1 or all drawn  
into the whirlpool of egotism#ce4 ,this 
gives to each person1 however different 
the temper1 a tincture of  vanity1 and  
that weak vacillation of opinion1 which 
is incompatible with  what we term      
character4    ,thus a frenchman1 like   
most women1 may be said to have no      
character  distinguishable from that of 
the nation2 unless little shades1 and   

casual lights1 be allowed to constitute 
an essential characteristic4  ,what then
 could have been expected1 when their   
ambition was mostly  confined to dancing
 gracefully1 entering a room with easy  
assurance1 and  smiling on and          
complimenting the very persons whom they
 meant to  ridicule at the next         
fashionable assembly8 ,the learning to  
fence with  skill1 it is true1 was      
useful to a people1 whose false notions 
of honour  required that at least a drop
 of blood should atone for the shadow of
 an  affront4 ,the knack also of        
uttering sprightly repartees became a   
necessary art1 to supply the place of   
that real interest only to be  nourished
 in the affectionate intercourse of     
domestic intimacy1 where  confidence    
enlarges the heart it opens4 ,besides1  
the desire of eating of  every dish at  
table1 no matter if there were fifty1   
and the custom of  separating           
immediately after the repast1 destroy   
the social affections1  reminding a     

stranger of the vulgar saying--#8every  
man for himself1 and  ,god for us all4' 
,after these cursory observations1 it is
 not going too  far to advance1 that the
 french were in some respects the most  
unqualified of any people in ,europe to 
undertake the important work in  which  
they are embarked4    ,whilst pleasure  
was the sole object of living among the 
higher orders of  society1 it was the   
business of the lower to give life to   
their joys1  and convenience to their   
luxury4 ,this cast-like division1 by    
destroying  all strength of character in
 the former1 and debasing the latter to 
machines1 taught frenchmen to be more   
ingenious in their contrivances  for    
pleasure and show1 than the men of any  
other country2 whilst1 with  respect to 
the abridgment of labour in the mechanic
 arts1 or to promote  the comfort of    
common life1 they were far behind4 ,they
 had never1 in  fact1 acquired an idea  
of that independent1 comfortable        
situation1 in  which contentment is     

sought rather than happiness2 because   
the slaves of  pleasure or power can be 
roused only by lively emotions and      
extravagant  hopes4 ,indeed they have no
 word in their vocabulary to express    
comfort--that state of existence1 in    
which reason renders serene and  useful 
the days1 which passion would only cheat
 with flying dreams of  happiness4    ,a
 change of character cannot be so sudden
 as some sanguine calculators  expect3  
yet by the destruction of the rights of 
primogeniture1 a greater  degree of     
equality of property is sure to follow2 
and as ,paris cannot  maintain it's     
splendour1 but by the trade of luxury1  
which can never be  carried to the same 
height it was formerly1 the opulent     
having strong  motives to induce them to
 live more in the country1 they must    
acquire  new inclinations and           
opinions4--,as a change also of the     
system of  education and domestic       
manners will be a natural consequence of
 the  revolution1 the french will       

insensibly rise to a dignity of         
character  far above that of the present
 race2 and then the fruit of their      
liberty1  ripening gradually1 will have 
a relish not to be expected during it's 
crude and forced state4    ,the late    
arrangement of things seems to have been
 the common effect of  an absolute      
government1 a domineering priesthood1   
and a great inequality  of fortune2 and 
whilst it completely destroyed the most 
important end of  society1 the comfort  
and independence of the people1 it      
generated the  most shameful depravity  
and weakness of intellect2 so that we   
have seen  the french engaged in a      
business the most sacred to mankind1    
giving1 by  their enthusiasm1 splendid  
examples of their fortitude at one      
moment1  and at another1 by their want  
of firmness and deficiency of judgment1 
affording the most glaring and fatal    
proofs of the just estimate1 which  all 
nations have formed of their character4 
,men so thoroughly sophisticated1 it was

 to be supposed1 would never  conduct   
any business with steadiness and        
moderation3 but it required a  knowledge
 of the nation and their manners1 to    
form a distinct idea of  their          
disgusting conceit and wretched egotism2
 so far surpassing all the  calculations
 of reason1 that1 perhaps1 should not a 
faithful picture be  now sketched1      
posterity would be at loss to account   
for their folly2 and  attribute to      
madness1 what arose from imbecility4    
,the natural feelings of man seldom     
become so contaminated and debased as   
not sometimes to let escape a gleam of  
the generous fire1 an ethereal  spark of
 the soul2 and it is these glowing      
emotions1 in the inmost  recesses of the
 heart1 which have continued to feed    
feelings1 that on  sudden occasions     
manifest themselves with all their      
pristine purity and  vigour4 ,but1 by   
the habitual slothfulness of rusty      
intellects1 or the  depravity of the    
heart1 lulled into hardness on the      

lascivious couch of  pleasure1 those    
heavenly beams are obscured1 and man    
appears either an  hideous monster1 a   
devouring beast2 or a spiritless        
reptile1 without  dignity or humanity4  
,those miserable wretches who crawl     
under the feet of others are seldom  to 
be found among savages1 where men       
accustomed to exercise and  temperance  
are1 in general1 brave1 hospitable1 and 
magnanimous2 and it  is only as they    
surrender their rights1 that they lose  
those noble  qualities of the heart4    
,the ferocity of the savage is of a     
distinct  nature from that of the       
degenerate slaves of tyrants4 ,one      
murders from  mistaken notions of       
courage2 yet he respects his enemy in   
proportion to  his fortitude1 and       
contempt of death3 the other            
assassinates without  remorse1 whilst   
his trembling nerves betray the weakness
 of his  affrighted soul at every       
appearance of danger4 ,among the former1
 men are  respected according to their  

abilities2 consequently idle drones are 
driven out of this society2 but among   
the latter1 men are raised to  honours  
and employments in proportion as a      
talent for intrigue1 the sure  proof of 
littleness of mind1 has rendered them   
servile4 ,the most  melancholy          
reflections are produced by a           
retrospective glance over the  rise and 
progress of the governments of different
 countries1 when we are  compelled to   
remark1 that flagrant follies and       
atrocious crimes have  been more common 
under the governments of modern ,europe1
 than in any of  the ancient nations1 if
 we except the jews4 ,sanguinary        
tortures1  insidious poisonings1 and    
dark assassinations1 have alternately   
exhibited a race of monsters in human   
shape1 the contemplation of whose       
ferocity chills the blood1 and darkens  
every enlivening expectation of         
humanity3 but we ought to observe1 to   
reanimate the hopes of  benevolence1    
that the perpetration of these horrid   

deeds has arisen from  a despotism in   
the government1 which reason is teaching
 us to remedy4  ,sometimes1 it is true1 
restrained by an iron police1 the people
 appear  peaceable1 when they are ,only 
stunned2 so that we find1 whenever the  
mob  has broken loose1 the fury of the  
populace has been shocking and          
calamitous4 ,these considerations       
account for the contradictions in the   
french character1 which must strike a   
stranger3 for robberies are very  rare  
in ,france1 where daily frauds and sly  
pilfering1 prove1 that the  lower class 
have as little honesty as sincerity4    
,besides murder and  cruelty almost     
always show the dastardly ferocity of   
fear in ,france2  whilst in ,england1   
where the spirit of liberty has         
prevailed1 it is  usual for an          
highwayman1 demanding your money1 not   
only to avoid  barbarity1 but to behave 
with humanity1 and even complaisance4   
,degeneracy of morals1 with polished    
manners1 produces the worst of          

passions1 which floating through the    
social body1 the genial current of      
natural feelings has been poisoned2 and1
 committing crimes with  trembling      
inquietude1 the culprits have not only  
drawn on themselves the  vengeance of   
the law1 but thrown an odium on their   
nature1 that has  blackened the face of 
humanity4 ,and whilst it's temple has   
been  sacrilegiously profaned by the    
drops of blood1 which have issued from  
the very hearts of the sad victims of   
their folly2 a hardness of temper1      
under the veil of sentiment1 calling it 
vice1 has prevented our sympathy  from  
leading us to examine into the sources  
of the atrocity of our  species1 and    
obscured the true cause of disgraceful  
and vicious habits4    ,since the       
existence of courts1 whose              
aggrandisement has been conspicuous  in 
the same degree as the miseries of the  
debased people have  accumulated1 the   
convenience and comfort of men have been
 sacrificed to  the ostentatious display

 of pomp and ridiculous pageantry4 ,for 
every  order of men1 from the beggar to 
the king1 has tended to introduce that  
extravagance into society1 which equally
 blasts domestic virtue and  happiness4 
,the prevailing custom of living beyond 
their income has had  the most baneful  
effect on the independence of           
individuals of every  class in ,england1
 as well as in ,france2 so that whilst  
they have lived  in habits of idleness1 
they have been drawn into excesses1     
which1  proving ruinous1 produced       
consequences equally pernicious to the  
community1 and degrading to the private 
character4 ,extravagance forces  the    
peer to prostitute his talents and      
influence for a place1 to repair  his   
broken fortune2 and the country         
gentleman1 becomes venal in the  senate1
 to enable himself to live on a par with
 him1 or reimburse  himself for the     
expences of electioneering1 into which  
he was led by  sheer vanity4 ,the       
professions1 on the same account1 become

 equally  unprincipled4 ,the one1 whose 
characteristic ought to be integrity1   
descends to chicanery2 whilst another   
trifles with the health1 of which  it   
knows all the importance4 ,the merchant 
likewise enters into  speculations so   
closely bordering on fraudulency1 that  
common straight  forward minds can      
scarcely distinguish the devious art of 
selling any  thing for a price far      
beyond that necessary to ensure a just  
profit1  from sheer dishonesty1         
aggravated by hard-heartedness1 when it 
is to  take advantage of the necessities
 of the indigent4    ,the destructive   
influence of commerce1 it is true1      
carried on by men who  are eager by     
overgrown riches to partake of the      
respect paid to  nobility1 is felt in a 
variety of ways4 ,the most pernicious1  
perhaps1 is  it's producing an          
aristocracy of wealth1 which degrades   
mankind1 by  making them only exchange  
savageness for tame servility1 instead  
of  acquiring the urbanity of improved  

reason4 ,commerce also1 overstocking a  
country with people1 obliges the        
majority to become manufacturers rather 
than husbandmen2 and then the division  
of labour1 solely to enrich the         
proprietor1 renders the mind entirely   
inactive4 ,the time which1 a  celebrated
 writer says1 is sauntered away1 in     
going from one part of an  employment to
 another1 is the very time that         
preserves the man from  degenerating    
into a brute2 for every one must have   
observed how much  more intelligent are 
the blacksmiths1 carpenters1 and masons 
in the  country1 than the journeymen in 
great towns2 and1 respecting morals1    
there is no making a comparison4 ,the   
very gait of the man1 who is his  own   
master1 is so much more steady than the 
slouching step of the  servant of a     
servant1 that it is unnecessary to ask  
which proves by his  actions he has the 
most independence of character4    ,the 
acquiring of a fortune is likewise the  
least arduous road to  pre-eminence1 and

 the most sure2 thus are whole knots of 
men turned into  machines1 to enable a  
keen speculator to become wealthy2 and  
every noble  principle of nature is     
eradicated by making a man passes his   
life in  stretching wire1 pointing a    
pin1 heading a nail1 or spreading a     
sheet of  paper on a plain surface4     
,besides1 it is allowed1 that all       
associations  of men render them        
sensual1 and consequently selfish2 and  
whilst lazy  friars are driven out of   
their cells as stagnate bodies that     
corrupt  society1 it may admit of a     
doubt whether large work-shops do not   
contain  men equally tending to impede  
that gradual progress of improvement1   
which leads to the perfection of reason1
 and the establishment of  rational     
equality4    ,the deprivation of        
natural1 equal1 civil and political     
rights1 reduced  the most cunning of the
 lower orders to practise fraud1 and the
 rest to  habits of stealing1 audacious 
robberies1 and murders4 ,and why8       

because  the rich and poor were         
separated into bands of tyrants and     
slaves1 and  the retaliation of slaves  
is always terrible4 ,in short1 every    
sacred  feeling1 moral and divine1 has  
been obliterated1 and the dignity of man
  sullied1 by a system of policy and    
jurisprudence as repugnant to reason1   
as at variance with humanity4    ,the   
only excuse that can be made for the    
ferocity of the parisians is  then      
simply to observe1 that they had not any
 confidence in the laws1  which they had
 always found to be merely cobwebs to   
catch small flies4  ,accustomed to be   
punished themselves for every trifle1   
and often for  only being in the way of 
the rich1 or their parasites2 when1 in  
fact1  had the parisians seen the       
execution of a noble1 or priest1 though 
convicted of crimes beyond the daring of
 vulgar minds8--,when justice1 or  the  
law1 is so partial1 the day of          
retribution will come with the red  sky 
of vengeance1 to confound the innocent  

with the guilty4 ,the mob were          
barbarous beyond the tiger's cruelty3   
for how could they trust a court  that  
had so often deceived them1 or expect to
 see it's agents punished1  when the    
same measures were pursuing8    ,let us 
cast our eyes over the history of man1  
and we shall scarcely find  a page that 
is not tarnished by some foul deed1 or  
bloody transaction4  ,let us examine the
 catalogue of the vices of men in a     
savage state1 and  contrast them with   
those of men civilized2 we shall find1  
that a  barbarian1 considered as a moral
 being1 is an angel1 compared with the  
refined villain of artificial life4 ,let
 us investigate the causes which  have  
produced this degeneracy1 and we shall  
discover1 that they are  those unjust   
plans of government1 which have been    
formed by peculiar  circumstances in    
every part of the globe4--,then let us  
coolly and  impartially contemplate the 
improvements1 which are gaining ground  
in  the formation of principles of      

policy2 and ,i flatter myself it will be
  allowed by every humane and           
considerate being1 that a political     
system  more simple than has hitherto   
existed would effectually check those   
aspiring follies1 which1 by imitation1  
leading to vice1 have banished  from    
governments the very shadow of justice  
and magnanimity4    ,thus had ,france   
grown up1 and sickened on the corruption
 of a state  diseased4 ,but1 as in      
medicine there is a species of complaint
 in the  bowels which works it's own    
cure1 and1 leaving the body healthy1    
gives  an invigorated tone to the       
system1 so there is in politics3 and    
whilst  the agitation of it's           
regeneration continues1 the             
excrementitious  humours exuding from   
the contaminated body will excite a     
general dislike  and contempt for the   
nation2 and it is only the philosophical
 eye1 which  looks into the nature and  
weighs the consequences of human        
actions1 that  will be able to discern  

the cause1 which has produced so many   
dreadful  effects4                      
,,end ,,of ,,the ,,first ,,volume4      
-----    ,footnote #a3      ,what else  
could be expected from the courtier1 who
 could write in    these terms to madame
 de ,maintenon3 ,god has been so        
gracious to me1    madam1 that1 in      
whatever company ,i find myself1 ,i     
never have occasion    to blush for the 
gospel or the king4    ,footnote #b3    
,for example1 the reception of a        
portuguese adventurer1 under the        
character of a persian ambassador4 ,a   
farce made by the court to rouse    the 
blunted senses of the king4    ,footnote
 #c3      ,memoires du marechal de      
,richelieu4    ,footnote #d3      ,in   
this reply will be found many of the    
reasons1 that have been lately          
repeated2 and some 7a proof of the      
progress of reason71 which no one    had
 the audacity to repeat1 when standing  
up in defence of privileges4            
,footnote #e3      ,it is well known1   

that for a long time he wished to       
convoke the    states-general2 and it   
was not without difficulty1 that ,dubois
 made    him abandon this design4       
,during the year #aghi1 a curious       
memorial has    been reprinted1 which he
 wrote on this occasion2 and it is1 like
 the    author1 a model of impudence4   
,footnote #f3      ,since the           
constituent assembly equalized the      
impost1 ,calonne has    boasted1 that he
 proposed a mode of levying equal taxes2
 but that the    nobility would not     
listen to any such motion1 tenaciously  
maintaining    their privileges4 ,this  
blind obstinacy of opposing all reform1 
that    touched their exemptions1 may be
 reckoned among the foremost causes1    
which1 in hurrying the removal of old   
abuses1 tended to introduce    violence 
and disorder4--,and if it be kept in    
remembrance1 that a    conduct equally  
illiberal and disingenuous warped all   
their political    sentiments1 it must  
be clear1 that the people1 from whom    

they    considered themselves as        
separated by immutable laws1 had cogent 
grounds to conclude1 that it would be   
next to impossible to effect a    reform
 of the greater part of those perplexing
 exemptions and    arbitrary customs1   
the weight of which made the peculiar   
urgency1 and    called with the most    
forcible energy for the revolution4     
,surely all    the folly of the people  
taken together was less reprehensible1  
than    this total want of discernment1 
this adherence to a prejudice1 the      
jaundiced perception of contumelious    
ignorance1 in a class of men1 who       
from the opportunity they had of        
acquiring knowledge1 ought to have      
acted with more judgment4 ,for they were
 goaded into action by inhuman          
provocations1 by acts of the most       
flagrant injustice1 when they had       
neither rule nor experience to direct   
them1 and after their temperance    had 
been destroyed by years of sufferings1  
and an endless catalogue of             

reiterated and contemptuous privations4 
,footnote #g3      ,importance of       
religious opinions4    ,footnote #h3    
#8,the code of tiquette'1 says          
,mirabeau1 #8has been hitherto the      
sacred    fire of the court and         
privileged orders4'    ,footnote #i3    
,under the reign of ,louis ,,xv two     
hundred and thirty thousand lettres     
de cachet had been issued2 and after    
this1 who will assert1 that this    was 
not an inveterate evil1 which ought to  
be eradicated2 for it is an    insult to
 human reason1 to talk of the           
modification of such abuses1 as    seem 
to be experiments to try how far human  
patience can be stretched4    ,footnote 
#aj3      ,count ,lally-,tolendal4      
,footnote #aa3      ,this was written   
some months before the death of the     
queen4    ,footnote #ab3      ,such is  
ever the conduct of soi-disant patriots4
    ,footnote #ac3      ,this is an     
event much more important at ,paris1    
than it would be in    ,london4         

,footnote #ad3      ,the mayor4         
,footnote #ae3      ,this man1 the abb  
,lefebure1 remained all night1 and the  
greater part    of the next day1        
standing over a barrel of gun-powder1   
persisting to    keep off the people1   
with undaunted courage1 though several  
of them1    to torment him1 brought     
pipes to smoke near it2 and one actually
 fired    a pistol close by1 that set   
fire to his hair4    ,footnote #af3     
,lally-,tolendal said of ,la ,fayette1  
at this time1 that #8he spoke of        
liberty as he had defended it4'         
,footnote #ag3      ,the supplying of   
,paris with provision always depended on
 a nice    arrangement of circumstances1
 capable of being controlled by the     
government of the state4 ,it is not like
 ,london1 and other great    cities1 the
 local position of which was previously 
pointed out by    nature1 and of which  
the welfare depends on the great and    
perpetual    movements of commerce1     
which they themselves regulate4 ,to cut 

off the    provision from ,london1 you  
must block up the port1 and interdict in
 an    open manner an intercourse1 on   
which the wealth of the nation in a     
great measure depends4 ,paris1 on the   
contrary1 might be famished in a    few 
days by a secret order of the court4    
,all the people of the place    would   
feel the effect1 and no person be able  
to ascertain the cause4    ,these       
considerations render it easy to account
 for the continued    scarcity of       
provision in ,paris during the summer of
 #aghi4 ,no person    can doubt1 but the
 court viewed the revolution with       
horrour2 and that1    among the measures
 which they took to prevent it1 they    
would not    overlook so obvious an     
expedient1 as that of cutting off the   
supplies    from the capital2 as they   
supposed the people would lay the blame 
on    the new order of things1 and thus 
be disgusted with the revolution4       
,footnote #ah3      ,the lamp-posts1    
which are only to be found in squares1  

and places    where there are not two   
rows of houses1 are much more           
substantial than    in ,england4        
,footnote #ai3      #8,in ,august       
#aggh1' says ,lally-,tolendal1 #8the    
laws were overturned2 and    twenty-five
 millions of men without justice or     
judges2--the public    treasury without 
funds1 and without resource2--the       
sovereign authority    was usurped by   
the ministers2--and the people without  
any other hope    than the              
states-general2--yet without confidence 
in the promise of the    king4'         
,and1 ,mounier also gives a similar     
sketch4 #8,we have not a fixed or       
complete form of government--we have not
 a constitution1 because all    the     
powers are confounded--because no       
boundary is traced out4--,the           
judicial power is not even separated    
from the legislative4--,authority    is 
dispersed2 it's various parts are always
 in opposition2 and amidst    their     
perpetual shocks the rights of the lower

 class of citizens are                  
betrayed4--,the laws are openly         
despised1 or rather we are not agreed   
what ought to be called laws4'          
,footnote #bj3      ,in the ,bastille1  
it is true1 were found but seven        
prisoners4--,yet1 it    ought to be     
remarked1 that three of them had lost   
their reason--that1    when the secrets 
of the prison-house were laid open1 men 
started with    horrour from the        
inspection of instruments of torture1   
that appeared    to be almost worn out  
by the exercise of tyranny--and that    
citizens    were afraid even for a      
moment to enter the noisome dungeons1 in
 which    their fellow creatures had    
been confined for years4    ,footnote   
#ba3      ,the cruelties of the half    
civilized romans1 combined with their   
unnatural vices1 even when literature   
and the arts were most    cultivated1   
prove1 that humanity is the offspring of
 the    understanding1 and that the     
progress of the sciences alone can make 

men wiser and happier4    ,footnote #bb3
      ,mirabeau appears to have been    
continually hurt by the want of dignity 
in the assembly4--,by the inconsistency1
 which made them stalk as heroes    one 
moment1 with a true theatrical stride1  
and the next cringe with    the flexible
 backs of habitual slaves4    ,footnote 
#bc3      #8,let us compare1' he further
 adds1 #8the number of innocents        
sacrificed    by mistake1 by the        
sanguinary maxims of the courts of      
criminal    judicature1 and the         
ministerial vengeance exercised secretly
 in the    dungeons of ,vincennes1 and  
in the cells of the ,bastille1 with the 
sudden and impetuous vengeance of the   
multitude1 and then decide on    which  
side barbarity appears4 ,at the moment  
when the hell created by    tyranny for 
the torment of it's victims opens itself
 to the public    eye2 at the moment    
when all the citizens have been         
permitted to    descend into those      
gloomy caves1 to poize the chains of    

their friends1    of their defenders2 at
 the moment when the registers of those 
iniquitous archives are fallen into all 
hands2 it is necessary1 that    the     
people should be essentially good1 or   
this manifestation of the    atrocities 
of ministers would have rendered them as
 cruel as    themselves6'    ,footnote  
#bd3      ,these members seem to have   
formed a just estimate of the french    
character4    ,footnote #be3      ,some 
french wags have laid a great stress on 
these decrees passing    after dinner4  
,footnote #bf3      ,lally-,tolendal1 in
 particular2 for giving his opinion on  
the subject    of two chambers1 he      
said3--#8,it is not doubtful at present1
 and for this    first assembly1 that a 
single chamber is preferable1 and       
perhaps    necessary--,there are so many
 difficulties to be surmounted1 so many 
prejudices to be conquered1 so many     
sacrifices to be made1 such old         
habits to root out1 so great a power to 
control2 in a word so much to           

destroy1 and almost all to create anew4 
,this moment1 gentlemen1 which    we are
 so happy as to have seen1 of which it  
is impossible a    description can be   
given--when private characters1 orders  
of men1 and    provinces1 are vying with
 each other1 who will make the greatest 
sacrifices to the public good--when all 
press together at the tribune1    to    
renounce voluntarily1 not only odious   
privileges1 but even those    just      
rights1 which appear to you an obstacle 
to the fraternity and    equality of all
 the citizens4 ,this moment1 gentlemen1 
this noble and    rich enthusiasm which 
hurries you along1 this new order of    
things    which you have begun--all     
this--most assuredly1 could never have  
been    produced but from the union of  
all persons1 of all opinions1 and of    
all hearts4'--    ,footnote #bg3        
#8,it is worthy of remark1 that the     
divine right of tithes was never        
insisted on1' says a french writer1     
#8even by the clergy1 during this       

debate4 ,yet the year before1 when the  
same question was brought    forward in 
the irish house of parliament1 great    
stress was laid on    this gothic idea  
of their origin4'    ,footnote #bh3     
,it is observable1 that the satisfaction
 of the people was by no means    equal 
to the discontent manifested by the     
privileged orders4    ,footnote #bi3    
,see the article #aj4 #8,no man ought to
 be molested on account of his          
opinions1 not even on account of his    
religious opinions1 provided his        
avowal of them does not disturb the     
public order established by law4'       
,footnote #cj3      ,calonne4           
,footnote #ca3      ,in ,holland almost 
all the taxes are collected in the shape
 of excise4      ,in ,france1 formerly1 
the taxes were generally internal2 but1 
since the    mode established of making 
a revenue of #cjj1jjj1jjj l4 by the land
    and house tax part of the           
#ehj1jjj1jjj l4 estimated to be the     
peace    establishment1 it appears1 that

 this was too great a proportion to be  
obtained in that way4 ,hence the revenue
 of ,france has lately failed in    a   
great degree4      ,in ,america the     
taxes of the federal government have    
been lately    established solely on the
 customs1 that is to say1 on goods      
imported4    ,these operate two ways2   
encouraging home manufactures1 and      
discouraging the manufactures of other  
countries4      ,great ,britain has     
levied her revenue on customs both      
inwards and    outwards2 on excise1     
principally internal2 on stamps1 which  
operate    both internally and          
externally2 and on fixed objects1 as    
well as    internal consumption1 7as    
salt74    ,footnote #cb3                
#8,o ,richard1 ,o mon roi1              
,l'univers t'abandonne6'    ,footnote   
#cc3      ,they used to lie to be owned 
in a conspicuous part of the city4      
,footnote #cd3      ,there are upwards  
of thirty scattered throughout the city4
    ,footnote #ce3      ,i use this word

 according to the french acceptation1   
because we have    not one to express so
 forcibly the same signification4       
----------------------------------------
--------------------------------        
,lately published1                      
,,rights ,,of ,,woman4                  
,,by ,,mary ,,wollstonecraft4           
,,the ,,second ,,edition3               
7,,price ,,six ,,shillings ,,in         
,,boards47               ,,printed ,,for
 ,j4 ,,johnson ,,in ,,st4 ,,paul',s     
,,church-,,yard4                        
,where may be had1      #a4 ,,mary3 ,a  
,fiction4 #cs4 sewed4      #b4          
,,thoughts on the ,,education of        
,,daughters4 #bs4 #f;d4 sewed4      #c4 
,,original ,,stories from ,,real ,,life2
 calculated to regulate the             
,affections1 and form the ,mind to      
,truth and ,goodness4 #bs4 #f;d4 bound1 
with cuts2 or #bs4 without4      #d4    
,,elements of ,,morality1 with fifty    
copper-plates4 #c vols4 #ajs4 #f;d4     
bound4      #e4 ,,young ,,grandison3    

,letters from ,young ,persons to their  
,friends4 #b      vols4 #fs4 bound4     
#f4 ,the ,,female ,,reader3 ,select     
,pieces in ,prose and ,verse1 from the  
best      ,writers1 for the ,improvement
 of ,young ,women4 ,with a ,,preface on 
,,female ,,education4 #cs4 #f;d4 bound4 
----------------------------------------
--------------------------------        
,,transcriber',s ,,notes       #a4      
,silently corrected obvious             
typographical errors and variations in  
spelling4   #b4 ,retained archaic1      
non-standard1 and uncertain spellings as
 printed4   #c4 ,enclosed italics font  
in underscores4