lents. Of Roland in particular Dr. Moore obferves, that fo highly was he cfteemed by his countrymen, that he never entered the Convention without a general whisper of approbation; and while fpeaking, numbers exclaimed with fervour, Ab le digne homme, le brave miniftre. Of how very different characters must the prefent Convention of France be conftituted. The affair of the 20th of June, memorable for being the first public ftep towards the total extinction of royalty in France, and not lefs memorable for the fignal intrepidity of the illuftrious fufferers, is defcribed with manly indignation. and much circumftantial detail from P. 203 to P. 233. Of the celebrated Robefpierre the following character is given at P. 237:

Robespierre is a man of fmall fize, and a difagreeable countenance, which announces more fire than understanding; in his calmeft moments, he conceals with difficulty the hatred and malignity which is faid to exift in his heart, and which his features are admirably formed to exprefs. He distinguished himself in the Conftituent Affembly by the violence of his ipeeches, and much more fince, in the Jacobin fociety, by the violence of his measures. His eloquence is employed in invectives against tyrants and ariftrocrates, and in declamations in praife of Liberty. His fpeeches are barren in argument, but fometimes fertile in the flowers of fancy.

Robespierre is confidered as an enthufiaft rather than a hypocrite: fome people think him both, which is not without example; but, to me, he feems to be too much of the firft to be a great deal

of the fecond.

"He has always refufed every office of emolument: his paffion is popularity, not avarice; and he is allowed, even by those who deteft many parts of his character, and are his enemies, to be incorruptible by money." P. 239.

The reader may alfo be pleafed to fee the contrast between Roland and Danton.

"In external appearance and manner, thofe two men differ as in all the reft: Roland is about fixty years of age, tall, thin, of a mild countenance and pale complexion. His drefs, every time I have feen him, has been the fame, a drab-coloured fuit lined with green filk, his grey hair hanging loofe.

Danton is not fo tall, but much broader than Roland; his form is coarse, and uncommonly robuft: Roland's manner is unaffuming and modeft-that of Danton fierce and boisterous; he speaks with the voice of a Stentor, declaims on the bleflings of freedom with the arrogance of a tyrant, and invites to union and friendship with the frown of an enemy." P. 241.

It is a pleafing circumftance to find, from our journalist's account of the citizens of Paris, properly fo called, that they were neither promoters of the fcenes of blood which have

deformed

deformed that city, nor anxious for the death of the Monarch. Thefe enormities, favs Dr. Moore, are to be imputed to "a fet of wretches who are neither thopkeepers nor tradefinen, but idle vagabonds, hired and excited for the purpose."

An anecdote occurs at P. 267, much too interefting to be omitted.

"Monfieur de Bertrand, chevalier de Malte, and brother to Monfieur de Bertrand de Moleville, late Minifter of the Marine, was arrested and confined in the prifon of the Abbaye, foon after the 10th of Auguft. This gentleman was brought at midnight on the third of September before the dreadful tribunal in that prison. He is a man of great coolnets and firmness of mind, which was of infinite fervice to him in this emergency; for although the fymptoms of fear ought not on fuch cccafions to have been confidered as a prefumption of guilt, yet that contraction was put on them by the judges, and, without any other prefumption, they fometimes proved fatal to the prifoner.

"When Mr. Bertrand was questioned, he answered with an undifturbed voice and countenance, " that he had not the leaft idea of what he had been arrested for, that thofe who arrested him could not inform him, that nobody had informed him fince, and that he was convinced he had been taken up by mittake."

"Struck with the cool and undaunted manner in which he addreffed them, and having no particular accutation nor proof of any kind against him, the judges ordered him to be released.

"Two men covered with blood, who had been employed in killing the prisoners, and attended in the expectation of the fignal for difpatching Mr. Bertrand, feemed furprifed but not difpleafed at the unufual order. They conducted him through the court of the Abbaye, and on the way asked if he had any relation to whofe house he wished to go.

"He answered, that he had a fifter-in-law to whom he intended to go directly.

"How very much furprised and delighted muft fhe be to fee you!" faid they.

"I am perfuaded the will," replied Mr. Bertrand.

"One of the men then asked the other if he thould not be glad to be present at this meeting; to which he eagerly faid he should: and both declared they had a curiofity to be witneffes to the joyful meeting between Mr. Bertrand and his fifter-in-law.

"The gentleman was aftonished and embarraffed: he reprefented, that his relation being a delicate woman, their appearance might very much alarm her, particularly at fuch an unfeasonable hour; that he could not think of giving them fuch unneceffary trouble: and added whatever he thought would divert them from fo unexpected a propofal.

"They urged that they would wait in the parlour till he had advertised the lady of their being in the house, to prevent her being alarmed: that fo far from being a trouble, it would give them

great

great pleasure to accompany him: that they wished to have a relaxation from the work in which they had been fo long employed, and they hoped he would not deny them the fatisfaction of seeing the meeting between him and his friends.

"Mr. Bertrand did not think it prudent to refufe fuch petitioners any longer; he therefore affented-they accompanied him to the house. He fent the fervant, who opened the door at the found of his voice, to advertise the lady that he was arrived, and well. He afterwards went himself and informed her of the ftrange fancy of the two men, who waited in another room. The lady had arifen and dreffed herself hastily on her first hearing of his arrival: every body in the family had done the fame, and had flocked around him with expreffions of joy. The two men were admitted, and were witneffes to the happiness that all manifefted: they feemed much gratified and affected at the fight; it formed the ftrongest contraft with those they had fo lately feen. Mr. Bertrand offered them money, which they would on no account accept, declaring that they were already paid for accompanying him, in the only way they de fired. After remaining a confiderable time, they took their leave, wishing the lady all happiness, and thanking Mr. Bertrand for allowing them the pleasure of being witneffes to fo pleasing a meeting."

We read as we pafs along a great deal concerning the popularity of Cuftine, and of Biron, of the former in particular. The fate of both the fe eminent perfonages, and the following of the axe fo clofe after the laurel, affords an inftructive and

important leffon. No more ftriking inftance perhaps ever occurred of that popular gale which the very moment after it has lulled by its gentle murmurs, deftroys by its tempestuous fury.

The annals of the unfortunate, fays Dr. Moore, at P.318, do not record any fituation more dreadful than that of the unhappy Queen of France. We honour Dr. Moore for the remarks which follow. If ever there was an act of complicated cowardice, bafenefs, and cruelty, if ever there was a character de ferving admiration for the most dignified fortitude in enduring calamity, where can we find any parallel to Marie Antoinette, and her most foul, unnatural murder?

The anecdote fubjoined explains better, than many lengthened obfervations, to what a degree the French now carry their ideas of equality.

"A few days fince I faw a man dreffed in the uniform of a General Officer come up to a poor fellow, who, with a pike in his hand, food fentinel at a gate, and, addreffing him by the name of "Citoyen Soldat," asked him the way to a particular street.

"The pike-men were formerly confidered as of a rank inferior to the National Guards, who are armed with mufkets: but of late they are put on a footing, and do duty together; but ftill it might have been expected, that this gentleman's rank in the army

have commanded the ftrongest marks of respect from a common foldier, if his laced coat failed to produce them in a poor fellow almost in rags.

"Tenez, mon camarade," said the pike-man: " turn to the right, and then walk ftraight on until, &c.

you will first "The Officer having heard the directions returned thanks to the Citoyen Soldat, and, moving his hat, walked away." P. 406.

We forbear to dwell on minor incidents and anecdotes, that we may give the more space to what will neceffarily excite moft of the readers curiofity; namely, the trial and execution of the King. The more important circumstances of that horrible event are but too well known: there are some particulars related in this volume which are lefs notorious; fuch are those which follow. The Convention was divided into two great parties on this queftion. The one, inclined to mild meafures, knowing all attempts to prevent a public trial would be vain, attempted to carry the fentence of confinement during the war, and exile after it: they next tried the appeal to the primary affemblies; and, finally, they voted to poftpone the execution of the fentence. The violent part ufed every art to have all forms of procefs cut fhort by a bloody and fudden catastrophe. Papers were cried through the streets to inflame the minds of the populace, to infift on the King's immediate execution, or to execute him themselves. The treatment the Royal Family received in the Temple was in many inftances brutal. The keeper went one evening to the King, when the hour for his walking in the garden was expired, and addreffed him in these words: Allons, Monfieur Veto, il faut

monter.

"When the Royal Family dined, a Commiffioner from the Commune of Paris was always prefent. The Queen happened at one time to raise the hand in which the held her knife a little fuddenly towards her breaft.-The Commiffioner feemed alarmed, and made a movement as if he dreaded that she had an intention against her life; which the Queen obferving, faid with emphafis: "Non, Monfieur, je réserve cet honneur aux François." P. 498.

When the King's razors and penknife were demanded, he exclaimed, "Do you think me fuch a coward as to kill myfelf?" When the King fhaved himself, it was under the infpection of commiffioners, and the Queen and Princess Elizabeth were obliged to pare their nails under fimilar reftrictions. The King's behaviour on the morning of his appearance before the Convention, is thus defcribed:

"The Royal Family breakfafted together that morning; they were full of alarm and difquietude at the noife which increased every

every moment, and of which they plainly perceived the cause was carefully concealed from them.

"Uncertainty in fuch circumftances agitates the mind more than a full affurance of the worft; the Queen and Princeffes went to their own apartments after breakfaft, and left the Prince Royal with the King. The Commiffioners at last informed him, that he was about to receive a vifit from the Mayor of Paris." So much the better," faid the King. "But I must inform you," refumed the Commiffioner," that he cannot fpeak to you in the prefence of your fon." The King then, after prefling the child to his breaft, defired him to go and embrace his mother in his name. Clery, the valet who attended the King, withdrew with the Prince.

The King afked the Commiffioner, "if he knew what the Mayor's bufinefs with him was," and was anfwered in the negative. He walked about the room for fome time, ftopping at intervals to afk questions refpecting the perfon and character of the Mayor. The Commiffioner aniwered," that he was not particularly acquainted with him, but that he was of a good character, and, to the best of his recollection, of a middle age, thin, and rather tall. The King feated himself in a chair, and continued abforbed in meditation. Meanwhile the Commiffioner had moved behind the chair on which the King was feated. When he awaked from his reverie, not feeing any body, he turned fuddenly round, and perceiving the Commiffioner clofe behind him, faid with quickness, What do you want, Sir?" "Nothing," replied the other; "but fearing you were indifpofed, I approached to know what ailed you."

"Monfieur Chambon, the Mayor, entered foon after, and informed the King, that he came to conduct him to the National Convention: the King accompanied him without making any objection. When he came to the court, which was full of troops, horfe as well as foot, he feemed furped at leeing fome of them in uniforms with which he was unacquainted.

"Before he stepped into the Mayor's coach, he threw up his eyes to the window of the apartment in which his family were confined, and the tears were obferved to trickle down his cheeks." P. 503.

The queftions propofed to the Monarch, and his anfwers, are well known. Concerning his behaviour in this trying fcene, Dr. Moore writes thus:

"The King's behaviour during the whole of his appearance in the Convention was calm, recollected, and that of a man refigned to the neceffity of circumftances, without the confcioufnefs of guilt; his answers were fenfible, pertinent, and prompt. He never loft his compofure, except in one inftance, when the Prefident read the following ftrange accufation: "You diftributed money among the populace for the treacherous purpofe of acquiring popularity, and enflaving the nation.

"The perverfion of his very benevolence into a crime, aftonished the unfortunate Monarch, and deprived him for a moment of the

power