miles, protracted to fix hours, they were, under a guard, compofed of thofe very foldiers who had thus conducted them through this famous triumph, lodged in one of the old palaces of Paris, now converted into a Baftile for kings.

Is this a triumph to be confecrated at altars? to be commemorated with grateful thanksgiving? to be offered to the divine humanity with fervent prayer and enthusiastick ejaculation ?-Thefe Theban and Thracian Orgies, acted in France, and applauded only in the Old Jewry, I affure you, kindle prophetic enthusiasm in the minds but of very few people in this kingdom; although a faint and apoftle, who may have revelations of his own, and who has fo completely vanquished all the mean fuperftitions of the heart, may incline to think it pious and decorous to compare it with the entrance into the world of the Prince of Peace, proclaimed in an holy temple by a venerable fage, and not long before not worse announced by the voice of angels to the quiet innocence of fhepherds.

At first I was at a lofs to account for this fit of unguarded transport. I knew, indeed, that the fufferings of monarchs make a delicious repaft to fome fort of palates. There were reflexions which might ferve to keep this appetite within fome bounds of temperance. But when I took one circumftance into my confideration, I was obliged to confefs, that much allowance ought to be made for the Society, and that the temptation was too ftrong for common

dif

difcretion; I mean, the circumftance of the lo Pæan of the triumph, the animating cry which called " for all the BISHOPS to be hanged on "the lamp-posts*," might well have brought forth a burft of enthufiafm on the foreseen confequences of this happy day. I allow to fo much enthusiasm fome little deviation from prudence. I allow this prophet to break forth into hymns of joy and thanksgiving on an event which appears like the precurfor of the Millenium, and the projected fifth monarchy, in the deftruction of all church establishments. There was, however (as in all human affairs there is) in the midft of this joy fomething to exercife the patience of these worthy gentlemen, and to try the long-fuffering of their faith. The actual murder of the king and queen, and their child, was wanting to the other aufpicious circumftances of this "beautiful day." The actual murder of the bishops, though called for by fo many holy ejaculations, was alfo wanting. A groupe of regicide and facrilegious. flaughter, was indeed boldly fketched, but it was only sketched. It unhappily was left unfinished, in this great hiftory-piece of the maffacre of innocents. What hardy pencil of a great master, from the school of the rights of men, will finish it, is to be feen hereafter. The age has not yet the compleat benefit of that diffufion of knowledge that has undermined fuperftition and error; and the king of France wants another object or two, to confign to ob

Tous les Eveques à la lanterne.

livion,

2

livion, in confideration of all the good which is to arife from his own fufferings, and the patriotic crimes of an enlightened age

*

Although

* It is proper here to refer to a letter written upon this fubject by an eye-witnefs. That eye-witnefs was one of the most honest, intelligent, and eloquent members of the National Affembly, one of the most active and zealous reformers of the ftate. He was obliged to fecede from the affembly; and he afterwards became a voluntary exile, on account of the horrors of this pious triumph, and the difpofitions of men, who, profiting of crimes, if not caufing them, have taken the lead in public affairs.

EXTRACT of M. de Lally Tollendal's Second Letter to a Friend.

"Parlons du parti que j'ai pris ; il est bien justifié dans ma confcience.--Ni cette ville coupable, ni cette affemblée plus coupable encore, ne meritoient que je me juftifie; mais j'ai à cœur que vous, et les perfonnes qui penfent comme vous, ne me condamnent pas.-Ma fanté, je vous jure, me rendoit mes fonctions impoffibles; mais meme en les mettant de coté il a eté au-deffus de mes forces de fupporter plus long-tems l'horreur que me caufoit ce fang,-ces têtes, cette reine prefque egorgée,-ce roi,-amené ejclave,entrant à Paris, au milieu de fes affaffins, et precedé des tetes de fes malheureux gardes.-Ces perfides janniffaires, ces affaffins, ces femmes cannibales, ce cri de, TOUS LES EVEQUES A LA LANTERNE, dans le moment ou le roi entre fa capitale avec deux eveques de fon confeil dans fa voiture. Un coup de fufil, que j'ai vu tirer dans un des caroffes de la reine. M. Bailley appellant cela un beau jour. L'affemblée ayant declaré froidement le matin, qu'il n'étoit pas de fa dignité d'aller toute entiere environner le roi. M. Mirabeau difant impunement dans cette affemblée, que le vaiffeau de l'état, loins d'etre arrêté dans fa courfe, s'élanceroit avec plus de rapidité que jamais vers fa régénération. M. Barnave, riant avec lui, quand des flots de fang couloient autour de nous.

Le

Although this work of our new light and know ledge, did not go to the length, that in all probability it was intended it fhould be carried; yet I muft think, that fuch treatment of any human creatures must be fhocking to any but thofe

*

Le vertueux Mounier echappant par miracle à vingt affaffins, qui avoient voulu faire de fa tete un trophée de plus.

"Voila ce qui me fit jurer de ne plus mettre le pied dans cette caverne d'Antropophages [the National Affembly] où je n'avois plus de force d'élever la voix, ou depuis fix femaines je l'avois elevée en vain. Moi, Mounier, et tous les honnêtes gens, ont le dernier effort à faire pour le bien étoit d'en fortir. Aucune idée de crainte ne s'eft approchée de moi. Je rougirais de m'en defendre. J'avois encore reçû fur la route de la part de ce peuple, moins coupable que ceux qui l'ont enivré de fureur, des acclamations, et des applaudiffements, dont d'autres auroient été flattés, et qui m'ont fait fremir. C'est à l'indignation, c'eft à l'horreur, c'eft aux convulfions phyfiques, que le feul afpect du fang me fait eprouver que j'ai cedé. On brave une feule mort; on la brave plufieurs fois, quand elle peut être utile. Mais aucune puiffance fous le Ciel, mais aucune opinion publique ou privée n'ont le droit de me condamner à fouffrir inutilement mille fupplices par minute, et à perir de désespoir, de rage, au milieu des triomphes, du crime que je n'ai pu arrêter. Ils me profcriront, ils confiiqueront mes biens. Je labourerai la terre, et je ne les verrai plus. Voila ma juftification. Vous pourez la lire, la montrer, la laiffer copier; tant pis pour ceux qui ne la comprendront pas; ce ne fera alors moi qui auroit eut tort de la leur donner."

This military man had not fo good nerves as the peaceable gentleman of the Old Jewry.-See Monf. Mounier's narrative of these transactions; a man alfo of honour and virtue, and talents, and therefore a fugitive.

*N. B. Mr. Mounier was then speaker of the National Affembly. He has fince been obliged to live in exile, though one of the firmeft affertors of liberty.

who

who are made for accomplishing Revolutions. But I cannot ftop here. Influenced by the

inborn feelings of my nature, and not being illuminated by a fingie ray of this new-fprung modern light, I confefs to you, Sir, that the exalted rank of the perfons fuffering, and particularly the fex, the beauty, and the amiable qualities of the defcendant of fo many kings and emperors, with the tender age of royal infants, infenfible only through infancy and innocence of the cruel outrages to which their parents were exposed, instead of being a subject of exultation, adds not a little to my fenfibility on that most melancholy occafion.

I hear that the auguft perfon, who was the principal object of our preacher's triumph, though he supported himself, felt much on that fhameful occafion. As a man, it became him to feel for his wife and his children, and the faithful guards of his perfon, that were maffacred in cold blood about him; as a prince, it became him to feel for the strange and frightful transformation of his civilized fubjects, and to be more grieved for them, than folicitous for himfelf. It derogates little from his fortitude, while it adds infinitely to the honour of his humanity. I am very forry to say it, very forry indeed, that fuch perfonages are in a fituation in which it is not unbecoming in us to praise the virtues of the great.

I hear, and I rejoice to hear, that the great lady, the other object of the triumph, has borne that day (one is interested that beings made for fuffering fhould fuffer well) and that the bears

all