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DCA5CL

YALE UNIVERSITY
LIBRARY

Bought with the income
of the
MATTHEW C. D. BORDEN FUND

LETTER

T O A

FRIEND,

ON THE

LATE REVOLUTION

I N

FRANCE.

1791

4 3rtf - *-3-^6**- -s£f4.

This confidential Letter was written at tfie
defire of a Friend, whofe avocations and want
of knowledge of the French tongue deprived him
of thofe fources, from which due information was
to be procured. Several p erf ons, more from par-
tiality for the writer, than merit in the work,
having requejled copies of it, has been the caufe of
its appearing in print. Neither vanity or lucre
has been the leaf object. To avoid both, he has
neither fubfcribed his name to it, nor offers it to
fals* ^?kfej*?s?.2>.
UJ Jfr 0+au>*nnMs. &~-Cf. -2.-3>. — 3A — AO. ST— . >-.

E R R A.VT A.
Page 8. Note, for nth century read 14th century.
p. g. flulhed r. flefhed. p. 27. unbottoned r. unbuttoned. >
p. 46. Ramboillet r. Rambouillet. p. 52. grenadier r.
.grenadiers, p. 55. Note, accident r. incident, p. 67. r.
old maids, p. 68. Higgin's r. Higgon's. St. Maurs r.
•St. Maur. p. 72. Note, dele then.
Thefe, and any other miftakes, which have been com
mitted by the errors of theprefs, the reader is defired to
^oxreft with his pen.

A LETTER

TO A,

FRIEND, (3c.

Dear Sir,
X O U have been pleafed to afk my opinion
concerning the aftonifhingchange of meafures,
which has lately taken place in a neighbour
ing kingdom ; I readily allure you that an
alteration in the fyftem of government, in other
words, a revolution in France,appears to me to
have been undoubtedly neceffary. The de
ranged ftate of the finances, verging rapidly
towards a national bankruptcy, and the oppref-
fions of the people,called loudly for it. It was
th« wifh of every Frenchman, if we except
poffibly the courtiers,who, as in moft countries,
are generally enriched at the expence of the
public* Wherefore I perfeOly agree with Mr.
B ' Paine,

C « ]
Paine, that the ideas of liberty have taken fuch
deep root in the breafts of the people, that it
is ridiculous to fuppofe that a counter-revolu-.
tion can happen : I mean that they will ever
fuffer themfelves again to be reduced to the
flavifli ftate of their former government. We
differ then only as to the mode and progrefs
of this revolution. The advantages, which
may poffibly accrue from it hereafter, time
alone can fhow.
No man in France more ardently wifhed to
redrefs all grievances, and particularly the de
rangement of the finances, than the king him-
felf. Mr. Paine allows him to be a good man,
and on that account beloved by the nation.
His Majefty lamented the ambition of Lewis
XIV. and the voluptuoufnefs of his grand
father, to which, with great probability, I may
add the fatal alliance which he formed with
America ; for all thefe contributed to the ruin
of the nation.
For this purpofe he frequently conferred
with his minifters. Perceiving however that
no redrefs could be obtained from their coun-
fels, he recalled the parliaments, which his
grand-father had diffolved. Heconfultedthem.
He requefled their advice. But they, more
ftudious to eftablifh their own confequence, than

C 3 J
than to attend to the public weal, offered no
hints, no fchemes,towards the completion of
an object of fuch magnitude and importance-
Wherefore his Majefty, thus baffled in his good
intentions, was refolved to affemble the nobi
lity and dignified clergy by their reprefenta-
tives,in the fame manner as Henry IV, one of
his predeceffbrs, had heretofore done. Thefe
were ftiled the Notables.
The Parliament, fenfible that fuch a ftep
1 would totally annihilate their own importance,
oppofed the meafure as much as poffible, and
gave the King to underftand that the votes of
fuch an affembly, particularly upon the fubje£t
of taxation, would be incompetent without the
concurrence of the third eftate, fuppofing that "
he would never adopt a meafure, which would
in the end infallibly circumfcribe his own power.
They were however miftaken. His Majefty
was determined to refcue the people from na
tional difgrace, from oppreffion,and from mi-
fery. He had pledged his word, and was re
folved to keep it.
The idea of a national bankruptcy terrified
nofetofmen fo much asthofe7who had lent
their money upon the fecurity of the public
funds. As long as they had received their in-
tereftwith punctuality, they exhibited no fymp-
B % toms

C 4 1
toms of complaint againft arbitrary power, or
the defpotifm of the ftate. But when govern
ment became flack in the payment of their di
vidends; when the embarraffinent of the trea-
fury to make them good was vifible; thefe men
became the moft zealous patriots, theprofeffed
advocates for liberty.
At this moment Mr. Necker was minifter
of the finances. When he came into office it
was eafy for him to forefee that a revolution
was at hand. Many things had contributed
towards it, and, as Mr. Paine obferves, the
intercourfe with America was not the * leaft.
Mr. Necker therefore was refolved to have
the merit of it. It was his intereft to gain the
ftock-jobbers, and through them the people.
To the former he promifed fecurity for their
money. To the latter he held forth the cap
of liberty and freedom. Even in the affembly
itfelf he became a necefTary manj no member
being fuppofed equally capable of that branch
of legiflation. It was for thefe reafons that
all parties joined in procuring his recall after
the King had difmiffed him. But when the
ftock-jobber^ perceived that from finance he
attended to politics, they turned their backs
upon him, as they did afterwards upon the Af-
x * Modern philofophy comes in for a great (hare. fembly,

£ 5 3
fembly, when they ceafed to purfue the grand
objecl they had at heart. What was it to them
if the conftitution was good, or bad, pcoyided
their dividends were paid, and their capital fe*
cured ? Thus we fee for what reafon Mr. Nec-
jker courted the flock-jobbers, and the ftock-
jobbers fupported the minifter, and ftirr.ed up
the people againft the lawful authority of the
King. He was refolved, as I faid, to have the
merit of the revolution, which was then in em-
bryo. But there were other men equally am
bitious of that honor, and therefore, when he
Jiad ferved their purpofes, they turned their
backs upon him alfo.
The King had difmjffed him, beeaufe hi«
calculations towards removing the national
grievance were deficient. The ftock-jobbers
and the people however forced his Majefty to
recallhimj and at his return he was received
as the tutelar angel of France. When the
. Affembly had got all the powers of govern
ment into their own hands, they called upon
him to produce his budget. Finding it im-
poffible to anfwer their expectations, and fee
ing his popularity on the wane, he very pru
dently withdrew to his eftate in Switzerland.
The day of his return, I fhould have remarked,
was ordained fpr ever to be kept a feftival. But

C 6 ]
But both the minifter and the feftival are now
forgotten. Sic tranfit gloria mundi !
His Majefty might have had another mo
tive for difmiffing his minifter. It is not im
probable that he received fome information of
his finifter dealings with the ftock-jobbers and
the people. Be that as it may; the difmiffion
caufed a general alarm. The prefs began to
teem with the moft incendiary and defamatory
pamphlets. Gazettes and news-papers fprung
up like mufhrooms, replete with the moft in
flammable and combuftible materials. The
people in Paris were in a ftate of the moft a-
Jarming commotion. Meetings were held all
over the city, and in particular at the Palais-
"" royale (the refidence of the Duke of Orleans)
whereat every black and atrocious deed was
hatched, and from thence iffued. All was now
uproar and confufion. We need only call to
^ mind the calamitous fcene exhibited in Lon
don in the year 1780 to form fome idea of the
prefeni moment in Paris, where the minds of
the people, if poffible, are more degraded and
debaled. It was the dread of thefe mobs, which de
terred the Kings of France from making Paris
their place of refidence. To guard againft
thisrifing evil, an army was ordered to affemble round

L 1 1
round the fkirts of the city. The motives for
this meafure are varioufly related. I will give
you both fides of the queftion, and you will
then judge for yourfelf. Mr. Paine affirms,
with the popular party, that it was affembled
with the view of cafhiering the members of the
National Affembly, who were then fitting at
Verfailles. The people were likewife made
to believe,that the army was to reduce the city
to afhes, and to maffacre all the inhabitants.
If I may hazard a conjecture, it feems more
probable that the King was advifed to the
meafure for his own fecurity, as alfo for that of
the people and the capital. The army was to
intimidate, and not toa£l offenfively-,otherwife
M. Broglio, one of the moft experienced ge--
nerals of the age, would certainly have made
a different difpofition of it to. what he did. If
however the view of the court was ever fo
pure, their policy was very defective. It ferv
ed only to confirm the people in the ideas
they had formed of the defpotiim of the ftate,
and confequently augmented their fury and
refentment. By the eafy communication they
had with the army, and their frequent inter-
courfe with the foldiers, they foon debauched
them from their duty by dint of money, and
fpecious arguments in favor of liberty. From

C 8 3
From eight to ten thoufand of the rabble
now began to parade the ftreets of Paris, and
indifcriminately to plunder the fhops, houfes,
and convents. They feized upon the hofpi-
tal for invalid foldiers, where they met with
no refiftance, and furnifhed themfelves with
fome thoufands of mufquets, and feveral pieces
of cannon. From thence they repaired to
the Arfenal, which they plundered alfo, and
marched direftly for the Baftile*. On this
fubje&likewife there isa difference ofopinion.
The popular party.to palliate their favage cruel
ty towards M.Launey, the governor, gave out
that he was punifhed folely for his treachery.
This report I fhall not pretend to confute, as
Mr. Paine takes no notice of it; and therefore
muft fuppofe it void of credit. The oppofite
party affirm, that his only fault was that of
fubmitting to a parley with the infurgents,
when he fhouldhave drawn up the bridges, and
retired within the works. Had he done this,
they fay, he might have bid defiance to the
mob, without firing a fingle gun, which he me-
ver did. Be that as it may, the mob feized
him, and chopped off his head, without either
* The Baftile wai a fortrefs, like our Tower in London.
.< It was built in the 14th century, for the defence of Paris
againft the Eoglifti, judge

C 9 3
judge or jury, paraded( it through the ftreetsj
and afterwards ftuck it up as a trophy before
the Palais-Royale^.G.?.*.
Like hounds juft flufhed (if I may ufe the
expreffion) thefe inhuman wretches thirfted
after more blood and carnage. Fury and
madnefs feemed to mark all their fteps; The
Court became terrified and difmayed; as well
they might; The Affembly, taking advantage
of their confirmation, artfully feized that mo
ment to propofe to the king that the troops
might be withdrawn. To refufe would be to
confirm the fufpicions of the people. The
army, or at leaft what was. left of it, was not
to be relied upon. The crown, and poffibly
the life,of the king depended upon the an-
fwer. His majefty therefore hefitated not a
moment. He declared that he would not on
ly give orders for the army to retire, but
would, fuch was his confidence in the people,
go to Paris the next day unattended and with--
out guards, and endeavour to fettle every
thing they could wifh or expecl; from him.
This generous deportment of the king dif-.
concerted the views of defigning men. They
were fearful^ that the confidence which he
feemed to place in the people might revive
their loyalty and affeclions. To counteract
C this

this .engroffed all their attention. Their fears
however were groundlefs. They had learnt
their leffons. The emiffaries of the Palais-
Royale had been both aftive and able inftruc-
tors. They had taught them to believe,that
the king put himfeff into their hands through
abfolute neceffity, therefore they were to attri
bute nothing to the generous confidence of
the monarch ; for, in faft, it was only a tacit
acknowledgment of his own defeat. In a
word, he could not do otherwife.
The next day however Lewis XVI, faith
ful to his engagement, fet off from Verfailles
without a guard. When he arrived in Paris,
though furrounded by an immenfe mob, he
heard not,as heretofore, a fingle huzza, or
fhout of God fave the king, except from a vene
rable old man who, I fuppofe, could not diveft
himfelf of an old cuftom, which was now go
ing out of fafhion. Had he not been refcued
at the moment, he would have been torn to
pieces by the mob for this flight tribute of
loyalty. This anecdote I had from an eye-
witnefs. The king, although he had every
reafon to fear for his life, (for a woman was
killed by a mufket-ball not far from his perfon,
which fhot was undoubtedly intended for him)
appeared compofed and undaunted. He bore up

tip againft this difgraceful and dangerous day
with a courage which reflected- the greateft
luftre on the fortitude of his heart, and the"
elevation of his mind.
On his arrival at the Town-houfe, he con
firmed the nomination of the people in favor
of Meffrs. Bailly and La Fayette. As the
former appears to be a very Angular character,
it may not be amifs to, give you a little -(ketch
of it. He is. a member of the Academy of ,>
Sciences, and has publifhed fome treatifes on
aftronomy. That a man of his caft of mind,
given to fuch abftrufe ftudies, fhould quit his
peaceable defli for the tumult and uproar of
popular commotion appears very finguiar in
deed ! This Angularity of conducl however
was furpaffed by his boldnefs and effrontery
to the king upon the prefent occafion. After
decorating his majefty's hat with the national
cockade, which undoubtedly was a pointed
infult, as it was the very badge and enfign of
rebellion at that moment, he prefented the
keys of the city to him, (for you will be plea-
fed to obferve he was then Mayor of Paris)
and addreffed his fovereign as follows : "Sire,
" thefe are the fame keys which were pre-
** fented to your anceftor, Henry IV, when
tf he had fubdued his people. Now the peo-
C 2 " pie

r i* 3
" pie prefent them to you, after having con-
" (t quered their king."
His majefty, having fuffered every thing
that could gall and mortify him, was permit
ted to return to Verfailles. The queen a-
waited his arrival with the moft impatient
anxiety. When fhe faw him approach, fhe
ran to meet him, and fainted away at his feet.
From this incident we may eafily form a judg
ment of the diftreffed feelings of this unfortu
nate Princefs, and be apt to drop a tear of pity
and compaflion on her fufferings.
Though the cruel, and indeed fcandalous,
behaviour of the Parifians had rent the king's
heart with the moft pungent grief, yet the de-
monftrations of joy,which the people of Ver
failles teftified upon his fafe return, afforded
fome confolation to the much injured mo
narch. Here be might have remained in
peace, if the iniquitous meafures of the cabal
would have fuffered it. But it was only in
troubled waters they could fifti with any prof-
peel of fuccefs : it was from anarchy and con-
fufion alone they could expecl to bring their
vile projects to bear. If his popularity en-
creafed, they knew full well that their influ
ence muft decline. To counteract: this they
j?ent all their force. They were refolved to
terrify

C 13 3
terrify the people into their meafures, a ma
noeuvre which they have always employed to
this day, and, I am forry to add, with fuccefs.
For this purpofe it was buzzed in their ears,
that plots were hatching, and armies colleft-
ing,in favour of defpotifm and arbitrary power.
It was alfo artfully and induftrioufly infinu-
ated,that no confidence could be placed in the
king, who moft affuredly would liften to the
pernicious counfels of his minifters and cour
tiers, and adopt every meafure towards the
extinction of liberty.
Thefe reports had their effeft: Add to
which,the high price of grain, for the year
1789 had been very unproductive, revived the
former difcontents of the people, which had
fubfided a little after his majefty's gracious
and paffive deportment in Paris. The real
fcarcity of that neceffafy article of life however
was not fufficient of itfelf to accomplifh their
defigns ; for,though it was dear, there was al
ways a fupply. The cabal therefore was ob
liged to have recourfe to their old tricks; and
as there was no profpeft of a real famine, they
refolved to create fuch a one in appearance as
would anfwer their purpofes. Of this I fhall
fpeak more at large hereafter; and in the mearH*-
pme only obferve, that thefe reports to difcre- dit

JS&-.

C h 3
dit the king's intentions foon rouzed the peo
ple to action. They began to relent that they
had fuffered him to depart, and were refolved
to bring him back again to the capital. The
„Marquis de St. Heure^gues, a feditious fire
brand, attempted it at the head of 15 or 16
hundred of the rabble, who, like himfelf, were
ready for any bloody deed and atrocious aft.
But M de Fayette oppofed him with a body
©f the militia, referving that honor to himfelf
on a future day.|?-s£_.
The artificial fcarcity of bread corn gave a
very favourable opportunity to thofe who
wifhed to rid themfelves of their opponents.
Every man they fought to deftroy was marked
as a monopolizer, the fure badge of profcription
at that moment, as the epithet ariflocrate has
fince been. The firft who was accufed of mo
nopoly was a M. de Fleffelles. An anony
mous, and more probably a forged,letter wa$
all the proof produced againft him. This was
fufficient for the rabble. They dragged him
in confequence to the Town-houfe, and de
manded immediate juftice. The magiftrates,
who fince the revolution had feized upon the
atdminiltrarion of the police, feeming dilatory
in pronouncing judgment upon him, the mob
rufheci in, feized their viaim, a^d tore him to
-pieces

t 15 1
pieces in a moment, carrying his mangled car-
cafs in Bloody triumph through the ftreets.
Meffrs1. Foulon and Berthier were the next
objeQs of their mifguided fury. The formei*
had been Comptroller of the Finances; the o-
ther Mayor of Paris. The firft was accufed
of having ufed fome harfh and imprudent ex-
preffions reflecting on the people. Poffibly
moved to iridignation in feeing their exceffe*
on the fuppofed and artificial fcarcity of breads-
he faid that if they were obliged to eat ftraw,
they would deferve it. But the real caufe of
their difpleafure, or rather of the difpleafure
of thofe who had the direction of their mo
tions, was his intended appointment to fucceed
M. Necker as minifter, whom, like the ark of
the covenant, none dared to approach with
impunity. In their refined cruelty toward* -•
this unfortunate Gentleman, they affeQed to
make him undergo the fame fufferings as were
inflicted on Jefus Cbrift. They crowned him
with thorns, and,when fainting and finking
finder their barbarous and cruel hands, they
brought him vinegar to drink. Then they
ftruck off his head, which they fixed upon a
pole, and carried it in proeeffion through the
ftreets, with 4 wifp ©f ftraw (luffed into the
lifelefs mouth,
M. Ber-

I is 3
M. Berthier, his fon-in-law, had been for".*
cibly dragged by another divifion of the mob
from his country-houfe. The two parties
met, and they had the inhumanity and unpa-
ralelled barbarity to force him to kifs the
bloody and mangled head of his near relation.
Then, after repeated infults, he underwent the
fame fate. A foldier immediately tore out his
heart, andprefented it, ftill beating and con-
vulfive, to Meffrs. de La Fayette and Bailly.
Thefe outrages however on human nature
were certainly perpetrated by a lawlefs mob,
by a furious and defperate rabble. In this I
agree with Mr. Paine ; and it would be as un-
juft to condemn the nation at large for their
exceffes, as to make a man in a raging fever
refponfible for his actions. The cenfure
therefore lies at the door of thofe,who gave
thefe bloody hints to a blind and mifguided
mob: it affecls thofe.who did not make ufe
of their power and authority to reftrain thofe
deeds of horror and atrocity. In this light
^jcan we acquit the National Affembly ? Moft
certainly we cannot; efpecially when. we re-
flec\,that a majority of the Houfe rejected the.
propofals of Meffrs. Mounier and Lally-ToU
lendal, with fome others, for preferving the
peace of the capital, and preventing in future fuch

L1 19 3
f&th a£te of violence and blood-fhed. M.
Bornave in particular, the difciple of M.
Mirabeau, had the affurance to applaud thofe
exceffes. "After all," faid he, " is the blood
"that has been fpilt of fuch mighty confe-
" quence ?" Mr. Paine remarks, that the
people (fpeaking of thefe bloody deeds) learnt
to copy after their betters. He might have
remarked likewifc that they knew how to pro
fit by their inftructions.
The motion, which was made for the
re-eftablifhment of order, for the mainte
nance of the peace and the fecurity of the
capital, being rejected, feveral members quitted
the Affembly. They a£led with proper pre
caution; for every diffenting voice was liable
to profcription. He was an Arijlocrate-, con-
fequently an enemy to liberty. To keep up
the alarm, which as ,1 obferved before was the
main policy of the Demagogues, M.Mirabeau
informed the Houfe, with the moft ferious and
forrowful countenance, that he had reafon to
fufpecl; that gun-power and other combuftibles
were laid beneath it to blow them all up at
once. Search was immediately made, but no ,
difcovery of the kind enfued. Neverthelefs
thefe reports had alfo their effeci. The pro-*
vinces, being alarmed at thefe tales, began
D to

I *8 3
to arm in their own defence; expecting every
moment that attacks would be made againft
their newly-acquired liberty, which they were
made to believe would be overthrown by
the ariftocratic party. Upon this they gave
unlimited powers to their reprefentatives, who
failed not to turn them to their own advan
tage. From hence, every violent acti every
unjuft meafure, adopted by the Affembly, be
came an act of the nation. The powers?which
the conftituents gave to their reprefentatives
at the firft outfet, were very limited, and
moderate. They wifhed indeed for liberty,
xbut it was rational liberty alone they fought.
They had given the moft pofitive and peremp
tory order to their reprefentatives to co-ope
rate with the Monarch in every thing in
procuring it. They were deputed to form a
conftitution, and fet fuch bounds to the powers
of the crown, as would preferve a due equi
librium in the ftate. As a model, they looked
•up to this country; though they certainly
aimed to improve upon it. Originals are fuf-
ceptible of improvement, as times and cir-
cumftances alter. But now all thefe moderate
views were laid afide through terror, fupported
by fiction and deceit. The

[ *9 3
The Marquis de Favras was another unfor
tunate objeft of popular fury. It was reported,
that he had projected the King's efcape tOj,^
Metz; that he had tampered with feveral of the
National Guards for that effecti and had
concerted the affaffination of the principal
men of the new adminiftration. Though nox
proofs could be brought home to convift him,
though the improbabilily of the fa£ts flared in
every man's face, and although he was not
even permitted to fpeak in his own defence,
nor to produce any witnefs or witneffes in his
favor, he was condemned, and put to death.
To crown the injuftice of this iniquitous
procedure, the fame perfon,who pronounced
fentence of death upon this unfortunate gen
tleman, added, " Sir, you muft confider your
"life, as a facrifice due to the peace and
" tranquility of the public."
The Affembly fat a filent fpeftator of thefe .*
afts of injuftice. They gave out, feeing that
in fa£l they did nothing for the good of the
ftate, that their beneficent views were ob-
ftruQed by the continual oppofition of the
ariftocratic party. They paid no attention
to the dangerous fituation of their King, nor
even of the nation, had his Majefty been
inclined to oppofe force to force, and involve
l Da it

I «0 ]
it in a civil war. Fearlefs and regardlefs of
all thefe calamities; heedlefs of all the con-
fequences which might flow from their in
attention; they flopped the operations of the
law, annihilated the magiflracy, applauded the
defertion of the army, and overthrew all the
political force of the kingdom, before they
had taken a fingle ftep to reftrain the exceffes
of the people, or to give them any laws in
lieu of thofe they had abolifhed. The people
therefore turned the tables upcm their legi-
flators in many inftances, a,s you will fee
hereafter. This charge however affects only fome par
ticulars, who, by the aid of the rabble, had got
a majority in the Affembly. I fpeak of a fet
of men, who pride thprnfelves in particular opi
nions, oppofite to the generally received max
ims of the world; of a, fet of men, who have
Nfomethingtogain, but nothing to lofej, and thus
look upon the misfortunes of their cqun^ry as
a trivial concern, when ballanced in the fc^le
of their own ambitious and interelted "views,
When I {poke of thefe leading men as fup-
ported by the mob, I fhould have laid that"
the doors were always thrown open to thern^
whenever their' interference became neceffary >
either to fupport or oppofe a motion, as cir-i
cumftances

I 21 ]
eumftanees fuited. The reverfe is practifed''
in this country. No man is admitted, unlefs
he be introduced by a member ; and when
any important and weighty debate enfues> the
gallery is cleared, and the company defired
to retire. I now refume the thread of my
ftory. M. Mounier, a worthy member of this
Affembly (whofe name I fhall have frequent
occafion to mention) had moved for the efta-
blifhment of two Houfes of Parliament, fimUar
to thofe erected in this country; and that the
King fhould always have a power to diffent,
whenever he judged it expedient, againft any
meafure which might be propofed. This mo
tion threw the cabal into a ferment. They
threatned thofe members, who fhould dare to
fupport it, with their indignation and refent-
ment. They thundered out their rage through
all the provinces, whofe minds it was necef-
fary to poifon, and whofe judgments it was
their intereft to miflead, leaft they fhould be
inclined to examine too narrowly into the
propriety of their own proceedings.. In vain
was it urged, that in England,, the King was
veiled with this, prerogative. In vain did they
alledge that this country had two Houfes of
Parliament, and neverthelefs thought itfelf free.

r 22 3
free. In vain did they contend that, when a
conftitution was well guarded, the Prince
could never fuccefsfully encroach upon the
liberties of the people. Abbe Seyes, among
the foremofl, replied, •' that they did not af-
*' femble to copy after others, but to create a
" new conftitution; that it was below the dig-
" nity of the French nation to adopt fuch a
-" patched affair as that of England; that what
" might fuit one country, might not be^fitting
" for another; in fine, that it was perfpection
** alone they fought in the formation of theirs."
Thus fpoke the patriot. His fpeech reminds
me of Swift's reply to an upftart genius of the
fame complexion, who took for his motto,
Libertas, et natale Jiolum; under which the Dean
wrote, " fine words ! I wonder where he Hole
" them." I muft obferve that this Abbe Seyes
was one of the moft violent opponents of the
nobility and fuperior clergy, when their de
gradation was the fubjea of debate. But no
fooner did the Affembly move for the aboli
tion of tythes, than he was as clamorous in his
* oppofition. Cicero pro domo fid. He com
bated the motion with the moft vehement
elocution. So true it is, that felf-intereft is the
great and fole fpring of moft men's aftions.

In.

C 23 3
In the Affembly at this moment there was
nothing but party, faction, and clamour. The
moft dangerous party, or faction,was that which
was devoted to the D^of Oi^^f. They had
openly afferted his claim to the crown in cafe -*
of failure in the prefent reigning family. Why
was the claim made at this moment? No
body contefted it. Let us however proceed,
and by combining circumftances we may be
able to form fome judgment of the matter.
We have already feen that the bloody trophies ,,
of a favage mob were fufpended before his
palace. It is a known fa£l,that he bribed the ->
populace to commit every furious and out
rageous a£l. The public houfes were open to
them; and he paid for all. " What need have
" we to work," faid one fellow to another,
" our good father Philip will fupport us.''^
It is a well known fa£t likewife, that his great
aim was to drive the King from Verfailles,'
and to get himfelf declared Regent or Pro
tected. A few more crimes might place him
on the throne. But he was imcompetent to •
the bufinefs. He h% had neither the head to
plan, or the heart to execute, fuch fublime
vjlliany. Our Cromwell he might have poffi
bly taken for his model. But Cromwell's foul
was of a different caft. Courage and hypo- crify,

C 24 3
crify, with fanctified and rigid* morals, paved
the way to his elevation. A difregard of all
"decency marks the character of the D — of
QtrfH^f in private life he is abandoned to
the loweft degree of debauchery. I fhall
however neither put you to the blufh, or foil
my paper,with the recital of thefe. We will
therefore take a view of him in the upper
regions of gallantry. Taking a fancy to the
wife of M  de S^£-, he affailed him in a
tender part. This gentleman was in diftreffed
circumftances. The D^^- offered him his
purfe, provided he would yield the lady to
his embraces. The bargain was ftruck. The
D  made her governefs to his children,
(for he always kept clofe to the old proverb
'utile dulcij and fhe was received into his
houfe, where his Duchefs likewife refided.
Thus regardlefs of common decency due to
his wife, to his character, and to the world, he
gave to this lady, known by the name of
Madame G— — , the tuition and management
of his children, as I have juft faid.
It is reported, that this woman was the
firft who impreffed him with ideas of his own
importance, and infinuated the advantages he
might derive from the confufion of the times,
if he would but attend to his own intereft,
fummon

r 25 3
fummon up a little courage, and untie his
purfe ftrings, which, in fpite of his immenfe *
fortune, he had kept carefully clofed. Tri
fling incidents often give birth to the greateft
things, particularly where women are con-71
cerned. Many inftances I could adduce in
proof of my affertion, butfhall pafs them over,
rather than give fufpicion of offence to the
ladies. As to Madame G  , (as fhe is,ac-
cording to the cant female phrafe, a naughty >
woman) I may take the liberty to cenfure her;
and the more efpecially as my narrative re
quires it.
The Oueen of France had condefcended
to make her relation a vifit. Madame G 
was in the room; and the lover made her
fit down in the prefence of his Sovereign. The
Queen, as well fhe might, took offence; and
the lady, in confequence of it, was obliged to
depart. She vowed revenge however; and
what will not a woman do in her refentment ?
" Furens quid fcemina pofit ?" Like Lady Mac
beth fhe endeavoured to roufe and animate
his foul. " Art thou," faid fhe, " afraid to be
" the fame in thine own act and valour, as
*' thou art in defire ? Would'ft thou have
" that, which thou efteemeft the ornament of
*' life, and live a coward in thine own efteem ?"
E Madame

C =6 ]
Madame B w^" (fhe was with him in Lon
don) he alfo decoyed from her hufband. But
as his princely difpofition would not fuffer him
to eat fuch prime fruit, without paying for it,
he offered to M. B^Mr to procure him fupe-
rior rank in the army to that he already en
joyed. This was meant as a compenfation
for the injury and infult offered to that gen
tleman. What ftrange ideas of virtue and ho
nor fome great men have! But Mr. Bp£~\va.s
too old-fafhioned to accept the proferred
boon ; He replied that " the D — had con-
" ferred already fufficient obligations upon him
-" by ridding him of a faithlefs, and confe-
" quentlyof a worthlefs,wife."
O
The D  's courage however did not
keep pace with his gallantry. It is a known fact
that, being in the prefence-chamber at Ver-
failles on a certain day, an officer who flood
near his perfon, faid, looking him at the fame
time full in the face," Cegeux,que fait il icy?"
in other words, what does that rafcal do here ?
You may imagine, that fuch a falutation was
rather grating to his ears. He therefore with
drew to the oppofite fide of the room. The
officer followed him, and repeated the .fame
offenfive words. Upon this the company with
in hearing began to grin; and he very pru
dently

C *7 3
dently retired. It was a matter of debate a-
mong his party, if he fhould take notice of the
infult. Upon inveftigating the fubjcQ, it was
decided in the negative. They not only
knew the extent of his courage, but had a
greater object in view for him ; and to this
they bent all their ftrength.
" He that — ¦  and runs away,
" May live to fight another day."
Though I have impeached both his want
Of decency and courage, I have as yet paid no
tribute to his prudence. This would be acting.
with a partiality I difdain. Wherefore I beg
leave to tell you, that on the day he attended
the Affembly, when bis rights and pretenfions
to the crown were debated, either through the
heat of the place, or the agitation of his mind,
he fainted away. Every affiftance, you may
imagine, was immediately procured. His neck-:/
cloth taken off, his fhirt unbuttoned, Sec. when
to their great furprize they found his body
compleatly guarded by a welted waiftcoat, o-
therwife a coat of mail. What he had to fear
he himfelf knew bell. The precaution how
ever was certainly good, and a full proof of his
prudence and fagacity.
It was only in confufion and riot that he
could hope to bring his fchemes to bear. The
E a fureft

[ 28 J
fureft method for the purpofe, as infinuated to
him, was to bring about a real famine, or at
- lead the appearances of it, which would not
fail to roufe the mob, as it always ferves for a
pretext for popular commotions. Though the
foregoing harveft had been unproductive, yet
by the prudent attention of the magistrates
that dreadful calamity had been well guarded
againft; and it was proved, that Paris had ne
ver been more plentifully fupplied. This, I
k fay, was proved after the ftricteft enquiry had
been made. It is faid that application was
made to this country for a fupply. It may be
fo; yet it does not prove,that they were in ut
ter diftrefs for that neceffary commodity. They
might want it, as we did, both for the quality
and the quantity; for our harveft was equally
bad as theirs; and it is provident to keep up
the flock, for fear of a fubfequent bad feafon.
But the fact is, they didnot xuant it, in any other
fenfe. It was not a want of abfolute neceffity.
I prove it thus. At Lille, for example, there
was always a fufficient fupply. Bread indeed
was a little dearer than ufual; and fo was
our's. If then there was no famine at Lille,
there could be none in Paris, and upon that
I might reft my argument. But what will not
villainy, aided by ingenuity, do ? Above two
thoufaruj

[ ^9 3
thoufand facks of flower, it was well known,
were thrown into the river Seine at one time.
Indeed it was given out, when this infernal
tranfaction was detected, that the corn was
damaged, and unfit for ufe. But, by the moft
creditable report; it was declared to be the
reverfe. Another incident occurred, which gave the
faction a further opportunity of working upon
the paffions of the people with the fame fuc-
cefs. I fhall relate it in Mr. Paine's words:
" The Gardes du Corps (in other words the
" King's body-guards) which was compofed,
" as fuch regiments generally are, of perfons
" much connected with the court, gave an en-
" tertainmentatVerfailles(Octeber 1.) to fome
" foreign regiments, and when the entertain-
" ment was at the height, on a fignal given, the
ft Gardes du Corps tore the national cockade
" from their hats, trampled it under foot, and
" replaced it with a counter-cockade prepared
'* for the purpofe." There are a few promi
nent features in this bufinefs, which may lead
us to fome tolerable knowledge of the truth,
obfcured as it feems to be by the contradictory
affertions of each party. All the troops af-
fembled at Verfailles did not amount to ten
thoufand men, What had Paris, or the fac tion

r 30 3
tion to fear, who could mufter fifty thoufand?
The entertainment given by the Garde du Corps
was no novelty. Such entertainments were
A ufually, if not always,given, as a compliment,
upon the arrival of every regiment. This was
given to the regiment of Flanders. The mili
tia-regiments obferved the fame cuftom with
out fufpicion of offence. The officers of the
Gardes du Corps, as well as the other regular
troops, had never worn the national cockade,
and therefore could not have torn it from their
hats to replace it with a counter-cockade, as
* Mr. Paine afferts. To make any thing of his
ftory, we muft fuppofe that they tore the cock
ades from the hats of the militia-officers, who
were alfo invited to this entertainment. But
would they have patiently fuffered fuch an in
dignity? Would M. D'Eftaing, one of the
guefls, who commanded that corps, have
brooked fuch pointed infolence ? Did he, or
did they, ever exTiibit any complaint of the
kind againft the Gardes du Corps ? The Af
fembly and the faction have been repeatedly
called upon to prove the charge. If true,
why did not they produce their evidence ?
What had they to fear ? Informers were nu
merous, cordially received, and deemed a vir
tuous and deferving' people, particularly when they

T 3* 1
they impeached any of the royal party. They
liftened with avidity to the charge brought
againft the Gardes du Corps, which one of the
members denounced with all the vehemence
of paffionate declamation. He demanded ju-
ftice for the outrages and indignities thrown
upon th'e augufl majejly of the nation by the in- -
fult to the patriotic cockade, which they had
adopted. A certain M. Pethion, who was
prefent, requefted the honorable member to
give the charge in writing, and to fet his name
to it. He hefitated, and feemed confounded.
Upon which M. Mirabeau, to relieve his friend
from his embarraffment, dexteroufly turned
the difcourfe. The Committee, who had lif
tened to this charge, perceiving that the tale
would not take fo well as they had wifhed,
immediately forged another. This was the
fecret fcheme which the Gardes du Corps had
formed to efcort the King to Metz. But in
this they were likewife unfortunate; for the
pretended difcovery of this plot was only
made on the 8th of October; and, to prevent
the execution of it, they feized him at Ver-
failles, and brought him to Paris on the fixth.
They attempted, as you will prefently fee, tof^
maffacre the Gardes du Corps on the fifth and 3
fixth of October, when their fuppofed delin
quency

[ 3* 3
quency was only difcovered on the eighth da'y
of that month. Indeed fome of the news*
papers, to palliate the blunder that was made
by their aflbciates in iniquity, gave out (for
the people will fwallow any thing) that the
Committee was endowed with the fpirit of
prophecy. They forefaw what would happen,
and therefore by mere inftinB faved the nation
fromdeftruction. It appears that the Queen was the greateft
obje£tof their jealoufy. She was fuppofed to
be the advifer of the King in all his meafures.
She was therefore hated, detefted, feared, ridi
culed, and lampooned. The infamous mo.
jlion, which M. Mirabeau made in the Houfe,
feemed pointedly levelled at her. " I pro-
" pofe, faid he, that it be enacted that every
" individual of this nation, excepting the King,
" be deemed a fubjeft." M. Mounier, the
prefident, was alarmed, as well as many other
members, at this violent motion, which came
unexpectedly upon them, and he immediately
turned the attention of the Houfe to another
object. For had fuch a decree paffed the
Houfe, it would not have been deemed unlaw
ful to cut off the Queen or any of the Royal
Family, had they thought it neceffary for their
purpofes. The people are apt fcholars in all
that

C 33 3
that is cruel or mifchievous. Mr. Paine al
lows that they readily take hints from theirj>
betters* In confirmation of this point, I mult
tell you that four affaffins, habited like wo-.
men, flopped on the fatal fifth of October at a
public houfe to drink. One of them addreffed
bis comrades thus: " By G  • I cannot pre
vail upon myfelf to kill him. That is not
" juft. But as to her, with all my heart." To
which another replied in the true black-guard
ftile: The " devil take the hindmoft, when
" once we are engaged." Two very credi
table witneffes fwore to this ruffian difcourfe,
to which however no attention was paid. But^
to return to the Gardes du Corps.
The fact is that the Affembly, or rather the
predominant faction in it, was jealous of the
attachment which that body of men retained
for their King. Their loyalty was a pointed
fatire and conftant reproach to them, as con-
trafted with their behaviour. Too frequently
do men reprobate the actions of thofe who do \
right, becaufe they themfelves do wrong.
Howevei}this unfortunate entertainment af
forded a pretext for calumny; and calumny
foon brought on riot, confufior^and bloodfhed.
The profcription, and confequently the
flight,of fo many rich and noble families from
F tha

[ 34 3
the capital had greatly diminifhed its trade
and commerce. The fhops were without cuf-
tomers, and the manufacturers without work.
To repair this lofs, it was fuggefted that,if the
King and Royal Family were compelled to
make Paris their refidence, the evil, under
which the people now laboured, would be done
away. To forward this fcheme. it was in-
duftrioufly reported, that the Gardes du Corps
had it in contemplation to carry the King off
,.to Metz, as I have faid, there to erect his
ftandard, fummon all his fubjecls upon their
allegiance to attend him, and this to trample
upon the liberties of the people. This
report has been fo confidently afferted, and
particularly fo by two gentlemen of my ac
quaintance, who kept up a regular correfpon-
dence with Paris, that. I^have been almofl in
duced to believe it, was not my affent with
drawn for the following confiderations.
It was undoubtedly the policy and the drift
of the D^-of O^^to drive the King from
Verfailles, becaufe, when once his Majefty
had dcferted his poft, the faction would in alf
probability have declared the throne vacant,
and nominated him Regent or Protector of the
realm. If fuch was not his view, wherefore
was he fo bufy on the fifth of October, on that
very

C 35 1
very day, fo difgraceful to the French nation
in the eyes of all Europe ? His heart, as I have*
obferved, was not formed for the dangers of "
fuch a day. Yet he expofed his perfon in the
midftof riot, bloodfhed, and confufion. Be-
fides, how could the King fuppofe that a body
of 500 men, which was the complement of the
Gardes du Corps at that moment, could poffibly
cover his retreat, which was fure to be ob-
ftmcted by the national militia, and all the
armed municipalities, through which he would
be obliged to pafs ? Allowing however that the
King had formed the intention of withdraw
ing himfelf in fpite of thefe obftacles, let me
alk : Was he not warranted fo to do by the a-
larming temper of the times, and in particular
by the indignities which he had fo lately re
ceived from the Parifians? But to me it ap
pears moft probable, that he had no fuch de-
fign. He plainly faw through the thin dif-
guife of the D^of 0±£^ and he was refol
ved to avoid the fnare. To his ambitious
projects the King was no ftranger. He had
the fate of our James II. before his eyes/
From his falfe policy he derived knowledge,
and therefore thwarted the borrowed fchemes
of a fecond Prince of Orange.
F 2 when

[ 3« 3
v,_44_When the decree intitled the declaration
of rights was prefented to the King for his fanc-
tion, the Council, which he had fummoned
upon the occafion, demurred. They halted
upon the brink of the precipice; for in fact to
affent to this decree was to exclude himfelf
from all fovereignty. They therefore gave
for anfwer, that his Majefty would foon make
his fentiments known. This delay only ferved
to increafe the flame, and to accelerate the
horrid views of the different parties. The
O  faction, whofe induftry never flept,
-turned this irrefolution of the King to their
own advantage,. The moft odious comments
were made upon it; and thefe did not fail to
have the defired effe£t, that of raifing the mob.
Money was thrown among them with a pro-
fufe hand; and they in return huzzaed Philip
¦for ever. In this mottly groupe of impurity
were four or five hundred fifh-women, who
if poffible, were more blafted and depraved
than their vile affociates. At this moment
however M. de la Fayette, the Commandant-
General of the militia, appeared. The peo,
pie immediately addreffed him in a clamorous
manner, and ordered him to repair to Ver-
failles, and compel the King and Royal Fa->
jnily to return to Paris, and in future to make it

C 37 3
h their refidence. The General * hefitated;
He endeavoured to harangue, and appeafe
them, if poffible. For only anfwerrthey point
ed to the fatal lantlern-poft, on which fomany
had already been fufpended. Irrefolute and
fearful what to do (for now the mob gave him
the law) he repaired to the Town-houfe,
where a Committee, compofed fcarcely of
twenty perfons, was then fitting. By thefe,
equally terrified with himfelf, at the infurrec-
tion, he was commanded to fet off for Ver-
failles, *' fuch being the will of the people."-
Thus fanctioned by law, he bowed obedience;
and foon after fet off on his expedition with
more than twenty thoufand men and thirty
pieces of cannon.
Let me here obferve that the democratic
party in France have affected to compare
M- de la Fayette with the American General.
I fhould fuppofe however that Mr. Wafhing-
ton would not be over proud of the cojnpa-
rifon. He, it is true, afferted the liberty of
his country, fought for it, and fucceeded. But
his conduct was never marked with the leaft-
duplicity or hypocrify ; never did he fubmit
to be the tool of a lawlefs rabble. What ha4
* By the moft difcerning people, he has been long;
thought to be an equivpcal character, the

C 38 3
the French General to fear ? Was he not at
the head of his army? If any mifcreant had
attempted his life, would not ten thoufand
arms have been lifted up to ward the blow ?
Was the corps, which he commanded, fo da-
ftardly, that they would have fuffered their
General to be affaffinated in their fight ? Let
the General anfwer thefe queries : Either the
militia of Paris, which he commanded, was
but a gang of cut-throats, which he could not
depend upon, or his conduct was cowardly to
a degree. Let him now chufe which fide of
the argument he pleafes. His courage indeed,
notwithftanding the brilliant panegyric, which
Mr. Paine has fo liberally bellowed upon him,
has not received the fame tribute of praife
from thofe who knew him in America. He
fent a challenge, it is true, to Lord Carlifle,
when he perfectly knew that it would not be
accepted, becaufe his Lordfhip (as he afferted)
had fpoken difrefpectiully of the King of
--France. What a fund of loyalty at that mo
ment ! I fuppofe,he then thought as the late
KKing of Pruffia, who had ufed to fay that the
moft pleafing dream a Prince could poffibly
have would be to fuppofe himfelf King of
prance. Was that monarch now alive, would
v be not exclaim Quantum mutatus ab Mo? The

C 39 3
The mob, after having plundered the
Town-Houfe, and procured five pieces of
cannon, obliged every perfon they met with
on the road to proceed with them to Verfailles.
This dreadful and mot«ly phalanx, compofed
of men, women, and men in the difguife of
women, all drained from the fcum and finks of
Paris, arrived at the place of action about four
o'clock in the afternoon. The King was then
at Meudon, one of his country-houfes, at a
fmall diflance from Verfailles; for at that
alarming period of anarchy and confufion he
did not think it advifable to go far from his
ufual refidence; having frequently had ocular
demonflration of the ufe which his good fub- ,
jecls made of the rights of men. On the mor
ning he had fent his anfwer to the Declaration
of Rights, which I mentioned jufl before 'J
but as it was not explicit, and confequently
not conformable to their expectations, it
threw the demagogues into a fury. The moft
indecent and paffionate refolutions were pro-
pofed ; and, I believe, it was then M. Mira
beau made the motion I have already men
tioned, which feemed levelled at the Queen,
if not at the royal family in general. f>-sjs-
What muft have been the feelings of the
king on his return, apprized, as he muft have
been,

[ 4* 3
been, of the violence of the Affembly, and
the appearance of fuch a tremendous mob,
you poffibly may better conceive than I am
able to defcribe. The fifh-women, in the firft
inftance, repaired to the houfe where the
members were fitting. They were for for
cing their way thro' the centinels who guarded
the doors, and breaking them open. The
Affembly therefore deemed it more prudent
to fave them that trouble, and ordered the
doors to be thrown open. The room, you may
imagine, was foon filled by the multitude, who
without any ceremony placed themfelves pro-
mifcuoufly, or, as we fay,cheekby jole,with the
members. A chief among this black-guard
murderous crew began to harangue them.
He faid that " the good citizens of Paris
" came to demand bread, and the immediate
*' punifhment of the Gardes du Corps for the
** infult offered to the National Cockade."
The Prefident endeavoured to foothe and pa
cify them with mild and foft language; but his
voice was quickly drowned by the grinding
of the carriage-wheels on which the cannon
were placed, and which they were going to
plant round the houfe, as alfo by the inceffant
foaring and fliouting of the mob without
doors. Thus we fee that the Affembly, which had

r 41 3
had made hitherto fo free with the royal au
thority, was in its turn treated with as little
refpe£l, and obliged to yield to a vile rabble,
headed by a parcel of fifh-women. Though
many of the members, as not being in the fe-
cret, might tremble at this awful appearance
of things, yet there were others who beheld
the alarming confufion ^rith a fleady and fe-
rene countenance. Among thefe were M. Mi
rabeau, whofe lack of courage could only be *
eclipfed by the D— ^of 0--Jwno alfo (as I have
remarked) was in the midft of the mob. Mira
beau alone ftepped forward, and boldly inter
rogated th,e rabble, how they dared to treat
the Affembly of the Nation with fuch indig
nity and infolence ? Inftead of relenting this
-lofty language, as they moft affuredly would
have done, had any of .the royal party dared
to harangue them in the fame manner, they
-exhibited no fymptom of .difpleafure. Indeed
rathey could not command their rifible mufeles
iwitb the fame facility they did their tongues,
for they were feen ;to grin horribly at the farce. -
. Give me leave to fay a few words of this
M. Mirabeau. By birth he was a Nobleman,
and, as fuch offered his fervices to that order"
as/Qne,of their :reprefentatives in the Affem-
4bly. His character being objected to, his
G fervices

L 4* 3
fervices were of courfe rejected. He there-
/a fore purchafed a hofier's fhop, and wrote over
the door, Mirabeau, Dealer in Stockings, Rib
bons, tfc. Thus felf-degraded, he funk into
the Commons, and procured a feat to repre-
fent that body. He was a man of great ta
lents, fuperior eloquence, and monftrous vi
ces. In fine, he was formed by nature, as
Shakefpear fays, for treafons, Jlratagemsi and
fpoils. His patriotifm was a farce : for after
all his declamation, all his attempts to over
throw the royal authority, he courted its in
fluence ; and had it not been for a decree of
the Affembly, which declared every member
of the legiflative body incapable for ever of
holding any place, or penfion under govern
ment, he would have fold himfelf to the court-
party, not doubting but they would purchafe
his intereft at any price. This decree of the
Affembly made him, if poffible, a greater ene
my than ever to the King: Intereft alone
-(for he was a ruined man) being the main
ipring which gave force and elafticity to all
his actions. He is now dead, and peace be
to his manes.
Whilft he was haranguing the mob, the
Gardes du Corps were attacked. They, as well
as the regiment of Flanders, were under arms, but

[ 43 3
but had received pofitive orders not to fire.
This proves to demonftration that there were
traitors even in the King^s Council ; for had
they been permitted to retaliate, fuch difci-
plined troops would have been an over-match^
for the raw militia, and confufed rabble. If
they did not mean that they fhould aft, why
were they ordered to form ? why were they
fent upon duty ? The King indeed was in
formed, that if they were fuffered to repel
force by force, himfelf, and probably all his
family, would perifh in the conflict. Where
fore thefe barbarous orders were iffued, and
to which the Gardes du Corps rigidly conform
ed, and fuffered themfelves to be infulted,
wounded, and even many of them killed, ra
ther than difobey the order. The regiment
of Flanders was not fo paffive. They did not
chufe to become victims to fuch rigid milita
ry difcipline. They called aloud for orders to
fire. Thefe being refufed, they tore their cock- x
ades from their hats, replaced them with thofe
of the nation, and joined the popular party.
The Prefident of the Affembly, having re
ceived his orders from the mob, waited upon
the King to lay their grievances before him.
His Majefty, as little fufpecting as the Prefi
dent, that upwards of thirty waggops laden''
< G » with

t 44 3
with bread, meat, and fpirituous liquors, had
attended the proceffion from Paris, or that the
famine they complained of Was the produc
tion of craft and artifice, and not owing to
«ny real deficiency ; I fay, his Majefty little
fufpecting all this, moft pathetically lamented
the miferies of the people. He affured them,
through the Prefident, that he would repeat
his orders to have the capital well fupplied
with grain, and that be himfelf would fee that
his orders were punctually and immediately
executed. The Prefident was alfo obliged afe
this moment to prefent to his Majefty again
the Declaration of Rights, requefting his affent
without any modification or reftrictioh what
ever. The King figned it, and thus gave up
every thing; for what power can a man be
faid to have, who is only to execute the will
of another ? The Prefident has been much
cenfured for his conduct upon this occafion^
He protracted however the evil deed as long
as he poffibly could; for he did not prefent
it to the King till after ten o'clock at night;
Moreover, the mob now gave the law;
and what could the Prefident do ? He fup^
pofed his compliance would appeafe them*
The King, as I have already faid, afferited to
the Bill. This was not a time to demurs much

C 4s 3
mueh lefs td refufe. The Cduttcil indeed ?¦'¦
fciught to protract the bilfiflefs a little, that
the Queen and Dauphin might withdraw, and
fecUfa themMves from the dafigefs whielS
furrourided them on all fides. Her Majeftyj
when fhe was apprized of their intention, and
her immediate departure Aiirged as an abfolute
fieceffity, nobly and couragedufly declared
that (he would fooher part with her life, thafi
leave the King in the hour of diftrefs, attd ift
tlte dreadful and alarming fituation of the prfe*
fent moment. " As for death," faid file* ** I >,
" fear it not-r^I have learnt from the Emprefs,
" my mother; to value life as nothing, when
" duty interferes." No intreaties therefore
Could prevail upon this Princefs to depart,
although fhe knew that fhe Was the main ob
ject marked for deftruction, In this you will
find 'fhe was hot deceived; although preferved
from ruffian hands by the fpetial interpofition
of Providence. f. si.
The Gardes dii Corps, after having been fo
rnaVtfeated, were at laft ordered to retire
from their poft. They did fo ; but were fired
at by the militia of Verfailles, who killed fome
pf their hbr'fes, and wounded feveral of their
men. They proceeded however in tolerably
good order, without:' attempting theleaft re-
prifal,

[ 46 3
prifal. They were then ftationed in one of
the courts of the palace. All was now uproar
and confufion in the extreme. The mob had
moved the cannon from the houfe of the Af
fembly, and placed it oppofite the court where
the Gardes du Corps were pofted. The King,
to fave them from deftruction, and if poffible
to appeafe the people, ordered them to retire
to Ramboillet, about 30 miles from Verfailles,
except thofe who had been wounded, and a
few who did duty in various parts of the pa
lace. Alarmed, as well he might be, at the
prefent poilure of affairs, he defired the at
tendance of the Affembly to aid him with
their counfels. Before the Prefident appear
ed, M. de la Fayette arrived at the head of
his army. On this fudden turn of affairs, the
King, addreffing himfelf to the former, faid,
" Sir, I wiflied at this alarming moment to be
" furrounded by the Reprefentatives of the
" Nation, and to requeft their advice. As
" things are,however, I have nothing more to
" fay than that I never had the leaft intention
[!' to go to Metz *•'' This fpeech carries with
it a great air of myftery. His Majefty feems
to have been over-awed by M. de la Fayette.
r * In other words, of deferring his poft,
However,

[ 47 3
However, the Parifian General gave him fuch
affurances of his perfonal fafety, that poffibly
he might think it ufelefs to advife with the
Affembly. Be it as it may-, the King was cer
tainly in a lamentable fituation. Obliged, as
he was, to depend for the fecurity of himfelf
and family upon a man who had erected the
ftandard of rebellion againft him; on a man,
who was at that moment at the head of a rebel
army, and who was, in a manner, the mafter
of himfelf and his family ; on this man, I fay,
he was obliged to depend for perfonal fafety,
at the fame time that he was compelled to dis
card the only faithful fervants (the Gardes du
Corps) who had remained inviolably attached
to him. I faid above that the conduct of M.
de la Fayette appears very myfterious. You'
will poffibly think fo likewife, and that his pro-
feffions of fervice towards the King and royal
family were, if not abfolutely infincere, very
equivocal, when I come to relate the fequel
of this horid tale.
The Prefident would not fuffer the Affem
bly to adjourn, though preffed to it by feveral
of the members, and particularly by M. Mi
rabeau, who doubtlefs (at fuch a critical mo-,
ment) had bufinefs elfewhere. He very wife
ly conceived that if he could keep them to
gether,

I 48 3
gether, it might be the means of reftraining
the exceffes of the people, who poffibly might
retain fome little refpect for the Reprefenta
tives of the Nation. But be was miftaken;
for the mob roared and thundered in their
ears, " Have done with your long fpeeches —
« Give us bread." Upon this the Prefident
propofed to fend to all the bakers for bread,
little fufpefcting that a peculiar providence had
already provided for them. In a moment thjg
doorg of the Affembly-rroom were thrown o-
pen, the provifions which had been conveyed
in the thirty waggons unloaded, and they be*
gan to carouze. Thus was the temple &f li
berty profaned, and became the feat of glut
tony and drunkennefs.
About three o'clock in the morning, M. de
la Fayette quitted the palace, having affured
the King that he would anfwer for the per
fect tranquility of every thing. His next
ftep was to prppofe to the Prefideint to ad
journ the Affembly, affuripg ibjm that fee
bad taken every neee®ary precaution to keep
order. He faid tbat it was high time for all
parties to take a little repofe after fuch a day
<of trouble andconfjuiioja; (thatbebknfelf was
fo well perfuaded that eyeay thing would re
main quiet and peaceable, that the was refol-
) ved.

I 49 3
Ved to go to bed. Upon thefe pofitive affu-
rances M. Mounier, the Prefident, adjourn,
ed the Affembly, and appointed the members
to meet at eleven o'clock.
Thefe proceedings of the General have un
doubtedly a very extraordinary appearance.
They prove either his ignorance or his trea
chery: His ignorance, if he could fuppofe
that fuch an immenfe rabble, in a great mea
fure in a ftate of intoxication, would be guilty
of no excefs, after the many dreadful inftances
they had already given of it. If he had fore-
feen what would happen, (and I believe it
will be no rafh judgment from the premifes to
conclude that he did) he acted a moft treach- -
erous, infamous, and unworthy, part.
Whilft he and the members were configned
to the arms of fleep, or at leaft when the for- -
mer was fuppofed to be fo, a detachment of
five hundred of the militia prefented them-
felves before the guard-room of the Gardes
du Corps; in which place there remained only
a few of thofe,who had been wounded and
difabled in the attack which had been made
upon them a few hours before ; and for the
purpofes of duty, as I remarked above, weref
alfo left the neceffary complement. The of
ficer who commanded at the guard-room, fup-
* H pofing

[ 5o 3
pofing that this detachment came with the
intention of attacking them again, immedi
ately put himfelf and his men in a pofture of
defence, being refolved to fell their lives as
dear as poffible. The militia, perceiving the
determined refolution of thefe brave men,
requefted a parley. One of them, who fpoke
in the name of the body, declared that they
came with no hoflile intentions : all they re
quired were the rights of hofpitality, and fhel-
ter from the heavy rain, which was then fal
ling. Upon this affurance they were admitted
into the guard-room, and treated with the ut-
moft attention and civility. Scarcely how
ever had the day began to dawn, than they
feized upon their generous and credulous
hofts, and difarmed them. They were then
conducted to the parade, where an execu
tioner flood ready for the purpofe of facri-
ficing fuch objects as were delivered over to
him. He was dreffed in a moft extraordina
ry manner, and exhibited a very grotefque
figure. He had a cap upon his head of an
enormous fize, with a long beard which hung
below his bread ; and a tremendous naked axe,
which he held in his hand. After having dif-
patched fome of thefe unfortunate victims, and
whilft they were debating in what manner they
fhould

C 5* 3
fhould difpofe of the reft, another detachment
of thefe abandoned wretches broke into -the
courts of the palace, maffacred the foremaft
fentinels, and laying hold of one of them,
dragged him under the windows of the King's
apartment, and ftruck off his head. From
thence they broke into the apartments of the 7
Queen, after having killed or left for dead
the fentinels who did duty there. Their re
peated cries of Madam, Madam, fave your [elf,
awoke that unfortunate Princefs. She had
only fufficient time to jump out of bed, and
run in that condition into the King's apart
ment by a back-ftaircafe; another door which
led to the long-gallery, which fhe had tried,
being bolted. Such were the precautions of
the faction ! And indeed it has been whifpered
abroad, with an air of great probability, that
there were fome men of better note engaged *
in this horrid trafaction than might have been
expected. The Queen had no fooner efcap-
ed from this bed of danger, than the affaffins
broke into the room, and pierced through the
bedding with their bayonets in hopes of per
petrating their horrid intentions en that un
fortunate Princefs : but they were deceived,
Providence having procured the means to
effect her efcape. Furious at their difappoint-
H 2 ment,

r s^ 3
ment, they repaired to the King's apartment:
what they propofed to do there, no one can
tell ; for at that moment M. de la Fayette
arrived with a company of the militia-grena
diers.
f--A9.lt may rather furprife you, as it muft moft
people, that the Parifian General, who«H it
was fuppofed was fafe in bed, if not afleep,
fhould appear at this very critical moment.
Afhamed poffibly of his fcandalous conduct
for the laft twenty-four hours, and terrified at
the dreadful confequences of his own pre
tended fecurity, he judged it prudent to inter-
pofe. In confequence of this, he harangued
the people with vehemence and energy. His
fpeech made fome impreffion, and in a few
revived the latent fparks of honor and com-
paffion. The King crying aloud for mercy
towards the miferable remnant of the Gardes
du Corps, whom thefe mifcreants were about
to difpatch, feveral of the militia grenadiers
haftened to the parade, and refcued thofe un
fortunate victims from their hands. Among
thefe were two officers of rank, whofe heads,
grown grey with age and long fervice, they
were going to fever from their bodies. Juft
before the fatal ftroke was to be given, they
addreffed the people in the following manner; " You

C 53 3
*c You may fborten our days, but at leaft we
" have this comfortable reflection to fupport
" us, that we fhall die with our characters un-
" fullied." The King appeared foon after at a balcony
of the palace, and with him the Queen and
children. No fooner did the populace per- _.
ceive the latter, than they cried out, No chil
dren. No children. The King to Paris. His
Majefty, being now in no condition to refufe,
with a good grace promifed to comply. He
immediately fent for the Prefident of the Af
fembly, and defired again that the members
might attend him, as he wifhed to advife with
them on the prefent melancholy ftate of affairs.
Several of the members immediately agreed to
conform to the King's requeft; but they were
over-ruled by M. Mirabeau, who faid that it
was below the dignity of the legiflative body
of the French nation to wait upon the King:
befides, fhould they condefcend to do it, their
deliberations within the palace-walls might be
fufpected without doors. All the remon-
ftrances of M. Mounier, the Prefident, to
prove the fallacy of M. Mirabeau's arguments
were of no avail. It was to no purpofe he
afferted that the dignity of the Affembly con-
fifted in doing their duty; as fuch they were
indif-

C 54 3
indifpenfably bound to affift their King under
the preffure of fuch difficulties; that it was
ridiculous to fuppofe that kings, when their
palaces were fwimming in blood, could be
able to controul their deliberations. Thefe
and many other arguments, which this good
man made ufe of, though in themfelves unan-
fwerable, were neverthelefs negatived by the
majority. This, I am convinced, will appear to you
one of the moft capital faults which the Na
tional Affembly has been guilty of. Had they
agreed to fatisfy his Majefty's requeft, they.
would in fome meafure have wiped off the
fufpicion,which they lay under, of being ac
complices in the exceffes of the mob, and
thofe of the militia. Poffibly, had they done
this, people by this time might have forgot
-that they took no ftep towards the fuppreffing
thefe outrages ; no meafures for preferving
peace and order. At laft they became con-
fcious of thefe capital omiffions. Their work
being compleated, they had leifure for reflec
tion. They became terrified at the increaf-
ing outrages of the mob. Fear had feized all
their faculties. In a moment they themfelves
might become victims to the evil fpirit which
they had conjured up and fupported. Even
M. Necker

r 55 3
M. Necker forgot the power, which he once
enjoyed over the people. He gave himfelf up
to tears without making the leaft effort to gain
the Parifians, who heretofore looked upon
him as their faviour, and the tutelar angel of
the nation. This * weaknefs, or call it what
you pleafe, in the Minifter, will be for ever
thrown in his teeth, as often as ever his name
is recorded in hiftory. It is impoffible to fay
that he could have fucceeded. Had it been
otherwife, at leaft he would have had the
merit of having attempted it. But, as I faid,
fear and terror had made fuch impreffions on
the Affembly, except among the few who
were privy to the real fecret, that M. Necker
* Another fymptom of weaknefs he exhibited by ad-
vfiing the King to admit a double reprefentation of the
people in the Affembly. He foon however perceived his
miftake, and wifhed in fome meafure to remedy what
was now paft a cure; for the people, having got^ all the
power in their own hands, were not fo ready to furrender
it. In hopes however of applying a remedy, he filently
fided with thofe who voted for the prerogative in the
King, to affent or diffent to any bill which paffed the
Houfe. But when he found the motion fo unpopular,
courtier like, he fuffered himfelf to be carried down the
ftream. This incident (among others) proves that M.
Necker never meant to carry things to the ftiameful pitch
they are now arrived at. is

t 5s 3
is not more culpable than the reft for having
yielded to them.
Every thing being now prepared for his
Majefty's departure from Verfailles to Paris,
it was decided that the faid bloody characters,
which hitherto had marked the triumphant
prowefs of the people over their king, fhould
be difplayed in the mournful proceffion, which
was now going to take place. On each fide of
the King's coach were marfhaJled the remnant
of his Gardes1 du Corps. Without arms, their
hair difhevelled, covered with dull, fweat, and
wounds; fainting under the fatigues and ap-
prehenfions of the preceding conflict, they
were ordered to march on foot. Before the
carriage were carried upon long poles two of
'the heads of their unfortunate comrades, pre
ceded by the executioner, above mentioned,
fmeared all over his face,- breaft, and hands,
with human gore. The Queen was in a fepa-
rate carriage. I only mention this to fay that
the mob had flopped it feveral times ; opened
the doors; and infulted her in the groffeft
manner. An immenfe mob, as you may ima
gine, attended this woeful proceffion of de
graded majefty, huzzaing and roaring like the
war-hoop of the wild Indians; and, that the
whole might be as galling and mortifying as
poffible

C 57 3
poffible to the unfortunate objects of their
proud exultation, it moved with a moft folemn
pace. The rear was brought up by the cannon;
and thus jt paraded to Paris. It may be re-
marked^that the order of this difmal proceffion
was planned by no ordinary head. There was "
too much regularity in it, if I may ufe that
Word, to have been the effect of chance, or
even to have been projected in hafte. Pofte-
rity undoubtedly, as well as the prefent gene
ration, will be as much furprifed when they
re flect,that thefe horrid fcenes were exhibited^
by a nation, which has always been deemed
polite, humane, and inviolably attached to
their Sovereigns ; by a people who have been
always fo infatuated with their own confe-
quence-and fuperior merit, as to deem the
reft of the world (like the ancient Romans)
barbarous. Barbare was too frequently ufed
heretofore by moft Frenchmen as a word of
contempt, when they fpoke of foreigners; I
leave you now to judge where the epithet
might be moft properly applied at this mo
ment. Permit me to repeat what I remarked
before. There were feveral parties or factions
in the Affembly. You have obferved the end
which the D^^r of O^^propofed to him-
I felf

E 58 3
felf by conjuring up this laft ftorm. But
fuccefs did not attend the project. It is more
than poffible M. de La Fayette might fear he
would prove fuccefsful, and thus may be ex
plained, the fudden appearance of the Pari-
fian general, when the affaffins broke into the
palace. He had referved to himfelf the honor
of making the King a prifoner, and therefore
prevented the execution of a fimilar fcheme
which the Marquis de St. Hereaguer had at
tempted fome time before, as I have already
noticed. yiA-
The D^— of O^^was now in a very
critical fituation; for M. de la Fayette was
privy to his projects, and might impeach to
make fome amends for his own evil deeds.
-Wherefore the King, to fave his relation
from the confequences of an inquiry into his
eonduct, obtained a pafs-port of the National
Affembly; and, under pretence of a fpecial
commiffion to the Court of London, refcued
him from difgrace. Here he remained, till
by his pecuniary facrifices and bafe fubmiffions
he bought his peace of the Affembly, and was-
permitted to return. *
No
* It has been far from my intention to calumniate this
great perfonage, if fuch I may call him. His character u

C 59 3'
No fooner did the King reach Paris, than
the famine ceafed. This appeared fo evident,'
that the people jeftingly faid that they had
brought the baker, his wife, and apprentice,
into the city, meaning the King, Queen, and1
the Dauphin. This vile fcheme having had'
its due effect, the impofition was no longer1
neceffary. The next object of their care was
to preferve that authority which they had"
ufurped; for now the vejfel of fate was failing
with more rapidity than ever, as they afferted.
The provinces however might rebel, and call*
them to an account for their conduct towards
the King. ' Other powers might arm in de
fence of injured and degraded majefty. They
might make it a common caufe; and thus would
the faction lofe the fruits of their labours.
However, they had the King in their hands, and'
he would ferve as a compleat barrier, or ra
ther a hoftage,againft all attempts both within-
and without. It has always been the policy
of infurgents, and in particular of the French
nation, to fecure their King for that very
fame purpofe. The Hugonots attempted it at
is fo well known, and the tranfaftions, which I have
noticed, are pofitively afferted by numberlefs writers,
uncontradicted by any, that the tale can only be novel
to thofe who have been ignorant of the events.
I 2 Amboife

C 60 3
Amboife upon Francis II. and at Meaux
upon Charles IX. Thefe however did not
fucceed fo well as the prefent faction have
done; who, to make the beft of their mifera-
ble hoftage, forced him to declare that he
went to refide in Paris of his own accord; that7
beingynre to go where ever he pleafed, he had
chofen that city for the place of his refidence.
Who could reproach them after fuch a decla
ration ? Did he not declare that he went to
Paris of his own free will? Did they not, in
conjunction with the Monarch, labour for the
good of the nation ? Did he not affent freely
to their decrees, feeing that he himfelf was
free? It however may be afked, en paffant,
if he was free to go wherever he pleafed, how
xthey came lately to flop him, as he was going
to St. Cloud for the benefit of a little country
air ? How it happened that they forced him
to return to his refidence, I had almoft faid to
-his prifon, in Paris? I now proceed. This
fophiftry of the faction threw dufl in the eyes
of the people. It was all they wanted ; for
what is a king without them ? It precluded
all reflection, and left them in the peaceable
enjoyment of their ufurpation. Another moT
tive likewife contributed towards it. If any
attempt was made for his emancipation, he
would

C 61 3
would undoubtedly have been the victim of
it. It muft have created in fome degree a
civil war, which the faction would no doubt
have imputed to bis intrigues ; and, like our
Charles I, have made him anfwerable for;.
Among many other reafons for my affertion, I
fhall trouble you only with the following.
It was debated at the club of the Jacobins,
which is known greatly to influence, if not
totally to give the law to,the Affembly, whether
a king is amenable to public * juflice ? Soon after
which, a Member of the National Affembly,
commenting largely upon the unfortunate ca-
taftrophe of King Charles I, Another mem- •
ber (Mr. Briffot) among many other violent ">
remarks, replied that "the Englifh Parliament
" fhewed itfelf guided by the true fpirit of
« patriotifm when it abolifhed a tyranical
" monarch. He deferved the moft rigorous
*' punifhment, and brought down upon his
" devoted head, the juft vengeance of earth
" and heaven." (inferted in the Argus Nov. 3. >
J790.) As I faid, this confideration muft hi
therto have prevented attempts to refcue the
king and the nation from thraldom. It is
impoffible, upon any other grounds, to account
* Jf I recoiled right, it was ear/ied in the affirmative. for

C 62 ],
for the inactivity of fo many princes of the
blood, of fo many of the firft and nobleft
families of France, who have been deprived
of their honors, dignities, and patrimony, and
forced into a kind of voluntary exile. It ii
^an example without precedent.
Here I might difmifs the fubject, did I
not wifh to make a few remarks concerning
their treatment of the clergy, whom, by a fpe«^
cies of contradiction, they have excluded from
the rights of men. The national debt, and the
•want of credit, added to M. Necker*s decla^
ration that he could not make good his en
gagements for the liquidation of it, were the
fpecious caufes of their ruin. The Archbifhop
of Aix, in the name of the clergy, offered
four hundred, and afterwards fix hundred,
millions of livres for the purpofe. It was of
no avail. Why ? becaufe there is not a doubt
but a great party, if not the greateft, wifhed
to abolifh all * religion from the land; and
nothing could do it more efficacioufly than the
degradation and annihilation of the clergy.
, * Wife legiflatures ! Plutarch will tell them «« that a
" city might fooner be built without any ground to fix it
ft upon, than a commonwealth be conftituted without
«' religion," 4
Where

t % 3
When a motion was made, whether the ancU
ent religion fhould be the one eftabliffied by
law, it was only to feel the pulfe of the na
tion, and try if they could be prevailed upon
to difcard it totally. The mode of religion
to the Affembly in general was very indif-
rent. The publications of Voltaire, Rouffeau,
Abbe Raynal, Sec. Sec. which Mr. Paine fo ;
much extols and recommends, overturned
every idea of it, as well as of regal govern
ment. Thofe who are converfant in their -
works will not hefitate to pronounce that from
thefe fources they learnt to defpife their reli
gion, their king, the clergy, and whatever
was heretofore deemed facred,honorable7and1
ufeful. The decree, declaring the property of the
church to be that of the nation, having paffed,
thoufands of both fexes have been, in con-
fequence of it, ftrippedof a comfortable mainu
tenance, and in a manner fent a begging, or
obliged to live upon a precarious fubfiftence.
To undermine religion more efficacioufly, an
oath was framed in fuch equivocal and ambi
guous terms as was fure to be refufed by every
man of fentiment and integrity. Thus, out
of one hundred and thirty-one of the epifco- pal

C ^ 3
K pal order, only four have taken it. Thi*
is a ftale trick of ftate policy, which has been
practifed with more fuccefs than honefty in
other countries befides France. But to re
turn. If fo many of the epifcopal order, as I
faid, have refufed this oath, how much greater
muft the number be among the inferior clergy ?
In fad fo few have taken it, that they are
S obliged to accept of whatever they can get,
and ordain and admit fuch as are neither qua
lified by their education or morals for thofe
functions. But the people will have fome fhow
of religion; * and to this the demagagg.es, in
fpite of the leffons they have culled from the
works of Voltaire and other philofophers, are
obliged to conform. They are certainly very
miferable politicians that can fuppofe a ftate
may fubfift without it. It is in direct oppofi-
Mion to experience, and never was fuppofed
by any legiflator whatever before the prefent
moment. The impolitic and unjuft meafure, which
they have adopted, of depriving the church
of its patrimony, cannot be more amply afcer-
* No nation under the fun exifts without fome (how
/- of religion. It is as appropriate to their nature as to eat,
drink, or fleep. tained

t 65 3
tained than by precedent. This they had;
before their eyes, and might have profited of
the miftakes of others, had equity and the web-
fare of their Country been the objefts of their
views. Many of the bell men in this country
(Proteftants) have lamented the diffolution of
religious houfes throughout this ifland. What
will become of the poor in France? Let Mr.
Collier anfwer. " The abbeys fuppreffed in
" England and Wales, fays he, were fix hun-
" dred and forty-five, as Camden reports.
" The yearly revenue is computed at
" £. 135,522:18:10, — While the religious
" houfes were Handing, there were no provi-
" fions for the poor. No affeffment upon the
" parifh for that purpofe. But now this charge
" upon the kingdom (obferve he wrote in
" Queen Anne's reign) amounts at a modeft
" computation to 800,000/. per annum." Now
give me leave to remark that if we compute the
annual income of £. 135,522:18:10 with the
poor's tax, even of his time, it will appear what
the nation has loft by the diffolution. Confi-
deration neverthelefe is to be had to the diffe
rent valuation -of money in thofe days and,
thefe; but this makes no difference in the na
ture of the burthen, which the prefent poffeffors
of the abbey-lands would find, if the whole
K charge

[ 66 3
charge of the poor was to be thrown upon
them. It is allowed, the nation is grown more
populous, and by this the number of the poor
are proportionally increafed ; but are not the
riches and trade of the nation increafed in the
fame degree? Now it is fomewhat myfterious,
how a nation that increafes in wealth fhould
abound with more beggars, unlefs facrilege
has entailed that curfe upon them.
But what would Mr. Collier fay, if he was
now living, to the poor's tax of the prefent
day? What would his aflonifhment be, when
informed that it is tantamount to, if it does not
K exceed,the yearly revenues of the kingdoms
of Sweden and Denmark ? And yet, to the
difgrace of the nation, the towns and country
are over-run with beggars, and the poor areftiH
increafing every day.
What compenfation will the National Af
fembly be able to make "for the advantages,
" which they have now loft, received from the
" religious hc>fes,which wereconfiderable upon
" feveral accounts? To mention fome of them.
" The temporal nobility and gentry had acre-
editable way of providing for their younger
" children : Thofe who were difpofed towith-
*' draw from the world, or not likely to make their

C 67 3
" their fortune in it, had a handfome retreat
" in the cloifler. Here they were furnifhed
" with conveniences for life and ftudy, with
" opportunities for thought and recollection,
" and over and above paffed their time in a
"condition not unbecoming their quality."
Give me leave to add that young ladies of fmall
fortunes, and oldAwho were doomed to a life
of celibacy, have frequently experienced
the propriety of Mr. Collier's remarks. They
had a comfortable and genteel retreat, which
they have now loft. Another writer, no ways
prejudiced in favor of the religion profeffed in
the convents, thinks that " to the want of fuch
" retreats in a great meafure are to be afcri-
" bed the feveral inconveniences we lie under
" at this day ; efpecially fince the frequent
" marriages of the meaner and indigent clergy;
"who? having no temporal eflates to fupport
" their families after their death, leave their
" wives and daughters deftitute and neceffi-
** tous; who7 being too proud or too lazy to
" work, often take ill courfes to fubfift; all
" which might be prevented, if there were
"places to receive and fupport them in a vir-
" tuous and comfortable way of life. From
*l this defect refults the lewdnefs of thefe aban
doned times, more than from any vicioufneft
K 2 •' m

[ 68 3
" in the temper or conftitution of the Engliffi;
" fince we feldom find thefe diforders in wo-
" men of birth, fortune, and education; while
" others in ill circumftances generally facrifice
" themfelves to their vanity and neceffities ;
"&c." (Higgles Short View of the Hift. of
England, Reign of Henry VIII.
" The abbeys, fays Mr. Collier, were very
" ferviceable places for the education of
*' young people, who were taught without any
" charge to their parents. And in the nunne-
" ries thofe of the other fex learnt to work,
"Sec." He then proceeds to tell his readers,
that it is to the abbeys we are obliged for moft
of our hiftorians " of church and ftate." Will
not this apply equally to the abbeys in France?
Where has there been a morelearned, and con-
fequently a more ufeful body, than the con
gregation of St. Maur*?* " Befides this rent-
" charge (the poor's tax, which Mr. Collier
,e has been fpeaking of,) the nobility fuffered
*' confiderably." He then enumerates their
loffes upon the diffolution, and fays " The
i
+ I might have mentioned the Jefuits, who have ex
celled in every branch of literature. They taught youth
gratis; and indilled into their pupils the love of virtue
and rational fubordination. Had their order not been a-
/. bolilhed, the revolution, fuch as it is in France, would
jttever have had an exiftence. " founders

[ 69 3
" founders had the benefit of corrodies, that is,
* they had the privilege of quartering a cer-
" tain number of poor fervants upon the ab-
" beys. Thus people that were worn out
" with age and labour, and in no condition to
" fupport themfelves, were not thrown up to
" ftarving, orparifh collections, but had a com-
" fortable retreat to the abbeys, where they
" were maintained without hardfhip, or marks
" of indigence, during life.
Let us now fee what thefe hiftorians fay
refpeEling the injuftice of the diffolution, and
the means which were taken to effect it; both
of which equally apply to France at the pre
fent moment. " The rights and liberties of
" the Church, fays Mr. Collier, had been con-
" firmed in thirty parliaments. They ftand
" in the front of Magna Charta. The endow-
" ments of the Church were fettled upon im-
" portant confiderations: For the honor of
" God, the advancement of learning, for the
" interefts of eternity.- — —It is faid that the
"monafteries were of royal * foundation, and
" therefore the taking them away was only a
" refumption of grants from the crown. The
* Therefore " what the ftate had given, the ftate might
take away." See Lord Robert Fitzgerald'* Speech,
pageJtC  ** affertion

C 7° 3
" affertion is wide of truth, as many of the
" abbeys, &c. were founded by bifhops and
" temporal lords, and fome by gentry of leffer
" quality. Befides all the eftates in the king-
" dom were grants from the crown, as appears
" from the tenures : and it would have been
" looked upon as an arbitrary attempt to have
" taken them away. For a gift is a tranfla-
-" tion of right, extinguifhes the title of the
" donor, and vefts the property in another.
" But this alienation was made by act of par-
" liament ; (or, let me add, by a decree of the
" National Affembly) That is true; and there-
" fore it was a legal oufting. But then it will
" be afked, if a great part of the temporal lords
*' and other rich laity had been thrown out of
" their eftates by a ftatute, whether fuch pro-
" ceedings would not have been thought an
" inftance of rigour, andmyfterious authority?
" Had they been thus impoverifhed without
" treafon or felony to deferve it, it may be the
*' legality of the form, and the pleafure of the
" legiflators, would hardly reconcile them to
" fuch ufage. — It would be very much a que-
" ftion whelher the heirs of the abbey-lands
" would be fo compliant with the crown, and
" part foeafily with their money, as the monks
" had done.— Such an experiment upon men
« of

I 7* 3
" of title and intereft, of fteel and ftomach,
" might prove dangerous in the operation. —
"When the Emperor Charles V. heard of the
" fateoftheEnglifh abbeys, he is reported to
" have faid, that now the King had killed the -
"hen, which laid golden eggs." In fa£t, what
immenfe fums have not the French clergy at
times raifed for the benefit of the ftate ? And
what an enormous fum did not they offer (fix
hundred millions of livres) at this prefent mo
ment? This refource, which is now loft, might
have been of ufe at a future day. The ab
beys muft be rich, as they always live fo much
within the income of their revenues*.
To effect a diffolution of thefe religious
eftabliffiments in France, they were obliged to
have recourfe to the fame vile means, which
were practifed in this country.
Mr. Thomas Hearne, in his preliminary
obfervations upon Mr. Browne Willis's view
of the mitred abbeys, fays that Henry VIII.
* The beft ftatcd facl I can produce of the contribu
tions of the French clergy to the ftate is from the year
1734 to 1755. During this period they gratuitoufly gavs
to the King eighty-one millions of livres. The taxes they
paid were likewife enormous. It is true, they were ob
liged to borrow the money for thefe gratuitous donations,
which their economy however enabled them to be paying
off yearly. and

L 7^ 3
and his courtiers to gain their ends "paffed
"by no arts or contrivances that might pof-
" fibly be of ufe in obtaining them. The
"moft abominable crimes were to be charged
" upon the religious, and the charge was to be
" managed with the utmoft induftry, boldnefs,
" and dexterity This was a powerful argu-
" ment to draw an odium upon them, and to
" make them * difrefpected, and ridiculed by
" the generality of mankind." Has not this
been done in France ? Confult the works of
Voltaire, &c. Infomuch that for thefe few
years paft a religious man has not been able
to walk the ftreets without being infulted.
But to proceed with Mr. Hearne: " Yet after
" all, the proofs were fo infujficient, that,by what
" I have been able to gather, I have not found
a" one direct charge proved, not even againft
" any fingle monaftery."
" But, fays Mr. Collier, granting that the
" lives of the religious were not fo ftrict as
" they ought to have been, it would have been
" no fufficient reafon to feize their eftates. If
" infobriety and mifbehaviour were fufficient
" grounds for forfeiture ; if ill-living, and not
* For this purpofe was the play of Charles IX. ?!*#«
^ written, and afted in Paris. For this purpofe was an auto
dafe exhibited in their theatre. " anfwering

C 73 3
*' anfwering the ends of an eftate Would jufti-
" fy the difpoffefling the owner; property would
*' be ^very precarious, and tenures flenderly
** guarded. — Acts of Parliament have without
" queftion authority to over-rule claims, ex-
v tinguifh titles, and govern the courts of ju-
"ftice. But are there not fome things above,
"the reach of the legiflature? Can a ftatute
" unconfecrate a church, enact a funday no ho-
" liday, or facrilege no fin ? Is not almighty
" God capable of property ? If we muft an-
" fwer in the affirmative; how can an eftate
" dedicated to his fervice, and veiled in him,
" be taken away without his confent ? Which
" way can the intention of the donor, and the
" main defign of the conveyance, be over-
v looked, and defeated ?
How the fpoils of the religious houfes will
be applied in France time alone can fhow.
But as the fame caufes have generally the fame
effects, we may make a fhrewd guefs from pre
cedents alfo. Permit me to tranfcribe a few
line.s from Sir William Dugdale upon the fub-
ject; " All the fruit the people reaped, after
" all their hopes built upon thefe fpecious
" pretences, (viz. as in France, by relieving
" the people from the oppreffive taxes) was
** very little. For it is plain that fubfidies
*' from the (remaining) clergy, and fifteenths
L " of

[ 74 3
" of lay-men's goods,were foon after exacted:
" and that in King Edw. Vlth's time the Com-
" mons were conflrained to fupply the King's
" wants by a new invention, viz. fheep, cloaths,
" goods, debts, Sec. for three years, which tax
" being fo heavy, that the year following they
"prayed the King for a mitigation thereof."
Camden fays " Notwithftanding the immenfe
" fpoils of the abbeys, King Henry VIII. was
" reduced to fuch poverty that (to the utter
" ruin of commerce in this nation) he had
-" corrupted the fieri ing, or Eajlerling coin,
" which King Richard II. had declared to be
" the only lawful money of the kingdom."
And fo much was it debafed, that the effigy
of the beautiful King Henry appeared on the
teftons with a red copper nofe. And, had he
lived a little longer, a project was made to
coin leather money.
In the former tranfactions of this country,
relative to this fubject, we may in a great mea
fure eftimatethe prefentproceedings in France.
The fame caufes, as I faid, will generally pro
duce the fame effects. " Abbey-lands, fays
" Fuller, in his Church hiflory, as the duft
" flung up by Mofes, prefently difperfe all the
" kingdom over, and at once become curfes
" both on the families and eftates of the own-
-" ers — for within twenty years next to the
" diffolution

I 75 3
" diffolution more of the nobility, and their
" children, have been attainted, and died un-
" der the fword of juftice, than did from the
" conqueft to the diffolution, being, almoft
" 500 years." If a counter-revolution fhould
be attempted in France (a thing not at all
impoffible) fome future hiftorian may make
the fame melancholy remark on that coun
try. The facts, relative to the Revolution in^
France, I have collected from a variety of
French pamphlets written on the fubject by
parties on both fides of the queftion. When
I found any of them pofitively afferted by
one fet of men, and not contradicted by the
other, or palliated in fuch a manner as to be
tantamount to a conceffion, I thought I might
venture to ftate them as facts: I vouch for
their authenticity no farther*. If I have
arraigned their proceedings with freedom, it
was their proceedings only I meant to cen-
fure, and not their attempts for liberty. I"
* If it be alked, if men can be guilty of fuch fafts as
I have related 2 let them read the works of the modern '
philofophers, and give the anfwer. The majority in the
Affembly are profeffedly the difciples of thefe philofo
phers. They are now, and indeed have been paying alr
moft divine honours to them. According to the old pro- _
rerb, " Tell me what company you keep, and I will tell
*f you what you are." L 2 Wifh

C 76 3
xwifh it fincerely to all the children of Adam.
I know the full value of it, having the happi-
nefs to enjoy a portion of it myfelf. But it is
: rational liberty I contend for; fuch as is con-
fiftent with the peace and welfare of fociety.
Every man, fays Mr. Paine, has undoubted
natural rights; but hejuftly adds, thofe rights
do not warrant him to encroach upon thofe of
his neighbour. I moft cordially wifh that the
fucceeding generation in France may in fortie
meafure atone by their good deeds for the
miftakes of the prefent day; and as ferment
ing liquors by degrees work off their fecu-
lance, fuch a reformation both in church and
ftate may take place, as will redound to the
glory of God, and the happinefs of the people.
There were undoubtedly very great acts of
cruelty and injuftice committed in this na
tion, both at the Reformation, and at the * Re*
Volution in 1688; but thefe are almoft forgot-
" ten by the peace and happinefs we now enjoy.
I am very well convinced therefore _, that
the argument may be retorted upon me; never-
thelefs I fhall take the liberty to cenfure what
appears to be cenfurable. It was the fate of
Lord Robert Fitzgerald; which however has
pot in the leaft detracted from his merit in
* Witnefs the many innocent perfons who fuffered for-
Pat^s plot and others ; all tending to promote the fame end,
humanely

I 11 3
humanely and benevolently Handing forth in v
defence of the Irifh and Scotch colleges in
France, which lay under the general profcrip-
tion. " The ground which Lord Robert Fiiz-
" gerald took"fay our newfpapers,"for this ex-
" emption was, that whatever property thofe
" colleges poffeffed in France, it had been all
,f purchafed with money carried from Ireland
" and Scotland; that the endowments of thofe
" colleges not having been French, but Bri-
" tifh from the beginning, the principle that
"what the ftate had given, the ftate could
" take could not attach upon them j or if it
" did, it was only to fhow,that the ftate Could
"not in juftice take thofe endowments for
" the beft of all reafons, becaufe it was. not
" from the bounty of France that they were
" held j on the contrary, a valuable confide-
" ration had been given for them, and the a-
" mount of it was paid with Britifh money."
" One member juft obferved upon it, that
" the prefent aera was fertile in revolutions,
" as aftonifhing as they were new. He faid
" it was not more furprifing to fee a Nation..
" al Affembly fitting amidft the ruins of def-
" potifm, in the capital of France, giving
" laws to the kingdom, than to fee the Mini-
" fter of a Proteftant King pleading the caufe
" of the catholic fubjects of that monarch, "whom

n 78 3
" whom the intolerant fpirit of penal laws had
"forced to become refugees in a foreign.
" land; and who would inftantly ceafe to bere-
" fugees, if their own*government would ceafe
" to be intolerant. To refufe them protection
" at home, and afford it to them in a foreign
" ftate, was a phenomenon both in politics'
" and common fenfe. The ftep taken by
" Lord Robert Fitzgerald feemed to be the
" confequence of a ftruggle between abfurd'
" policy on the one hand, and wifdom on the
" other; and he rejoiced that the latter had
" triumphed ; but he remarked, however,
" that its triumph could not be complete till
" England fhould have learned to treat all its
" inhabitants as fubjects, and not force any of
" them to feek abroad for that protection,
" which penal laws, attaching not upon crimes,
" but upon confcience, do not fuffer them to
" find at home."
I begin to fear that I have now tired you
with this long letter ; too fhort however it
certainly is for the magnitude of the fubject,
which poffibly may give you as much pain to
read, as it has to me to relate. The hiftory
of nations, Voltaire very juftly obferves, is
but a recapitulation and a memorial of their
crimes. A moft melancholy reflection ! To
releafe you therefore from tfiis painful fub-
jea,

C 79 3
ject, I (hall only add that if the King attempts
an efcape (which I think very probable, if he
can do it), it will prove to demonflration the
ill. treatment he has received, and the danger
to which his life is expofed. No other mo
tive, but that of felf-prelervation, would tempt
him to quit his prefent refidence, and rifle his
crown, even fuch as it is,in its prefent ftate of
debafement. As to the oath which he has taken to pre-
ferve the conftitution as by law eftabliffied, it
never can be deemed binding, becaufe he was >
not free * when they forced it upon him. He
had
* He was then, as he is ftill, a prifoner. Had the fac
tion thought the oath binding, why did they depriyt iim
of his liberty ?  The following extraft from Judge
Blacftone will fet this matter in a clear light : "An in^l»
" luntary aft," fays he, " as it has no claim to merit, fo
** neither can it induce any guilt ; the concurrence of the
" wi/1, when it has its choice either to do or avoid the
" fadl in queftion, being the only thing that renders hu-
" man aftions either praife-worthy or culpable. Indeed,
" to make a compleat crime^cognizable by human laws,
" there muft be both a will and an aftl~to conftitute a
A
" crime againft human laws there muft be firft a vicious
" will, &c. — One cafe in which the will does not join
" with the aft. is where the aftion is conftrained by fome
" outward force and Tiolence. Here the will counteracts
" the deed; and is fo far from concurring with, that it
" loaths and disagrees to,what the man is obliged to per-
'* form.

C 80 3
had no alternative. Life, though chequered
with fo many evils, is fweet ; and the anxious
concerns for a family make moft men pa ufe,
when they ftand upon the brink of eternity.
Lewis XVI, therefore preferred the poifoned
"cup of life to the fword of the affaffin, or the
mockery of a judicial (though not unprece
dented) trial. His hard fate (for of moft of
chis predeceffors he deferved it the leaft) may
prove an awful leffon to all the Kings of the
earth. That they may amply profit by it, both
for their own fake, and the peace and happi
nefs of their fubjects, is the cordial wifh and
ardent prayer of, Dear Sir,
»»i Your ever obliged,
'Sw?' '*' an(^ mo^ num^e Servant,
.^R$e 7th, 1791.
:** form.— One fpeciet of defccT: of will is that arifing from
•*' compulfiim and inevitable Heceffity.miYhtK & eonftraiiit
" upon the will, whereby a man is urged to do that which
" his judgment difapproves ; and which, it is to be pre-
" fumed, his will (if left to itfelf) would rejeft. Aspu-
" nilhments are therefore only innifted fpr the abufe of
" that free-will,which God has given to mgn, it is highly
" juft and equitable that a man fhould be excufed for
" thofe afts, which are done through unavoidable force
" and compuJfion." 3&.W.C&.?..

.'*.

MBvmiL-

"f^frx.