his a. web in the dark, and without difturbance. He feemed to entertain a juft regard and reverence for what he deemed right and juft, and conducive to the public welfare: though he feemed allo to be of opinion that few, if any, good laws were to be expected from any other head than own. Nor, though filent and recluse, did he want firmness to avow and defend his own fentiments, in the midft of popular clamour and paffion. He food up for the defence of property in oppofition to laws in favour of bankruptcy, and for the fuppreffion of tythes. A faying of his was long, and is now remembered to his credit. Speaking of his colleagues in the national affembly, he faid, "They wish to be free, and they know not what it is to be juft." On the whole, the abbé Sieyes was not an amiable, but poffefled very general reputation of being both a wife and juft man; and that, if he was not with out a tincture of vanity and ambition, it was not the common ambition of power and (plendour, but that of gaining over the French nation and the world to his political doctrines. His ambition, therefore, was of the fame nature with that of the heads of religious fectaries Buonaparte, to the advantage of military renown, added that of moderation, prudence, and a regard not only for civil rights, but allo for religion. The fage counfels he gave to the Genoefe on leaving them to themselves, the letter which he wrote to the Pope in a tone of refpect and veneration, the whole of his conduct in Italy, not more intrepid than temperate and wife, were recollected with applaufe. There was nothing that the French people was not difpofed to expect at the hands of the man who had conquered Italy and Egypt, and made peace with Auftria, on terms fo advantageous and honourable to the republic, while, at the fame time, it was the more likely to be lafting, that it was neither fo difhonourable nor difadvantageous to that great power, as it might have been, if the pride of victory had not been tempered by political prudence.— The wildom of the treaty of Campe Formio was illuftrated by the loffes, dilalters, and fufferings that refulted from its violation. The nation fighed for peace, and this bleffing was not fo likely to be procured by any one as by Buonaparte. As the nation confided in Buonaparte, fo neither was he diffident in himself; though it would be very unjuft, and is by no means intended to infinuate, that he carried a confidence in his own powers beyond the bounds of a just self-esteem. He had improved an underftanding, naturally excellent, by a very close and fuccefsful application to literature and the fciences. By the former, his mind was humanized as well as enlarged, and his ruling paffion, the love of glory, confirmed and exalted: from the latter, his understanding derived additional vigour, precifion, and promptitude. He was defcended of an ancient family in Corfica, an ifland protected by its poverty and mountainous afpect from the enervation incident to the champaign and luxuriant regions, lying in the fame degrees of latitude; and by the fimple ftate of manners from that famenefs and monotony of genius, which is commonly produced by an imitation of established authorities and modes of thinking, in the more advanced stages of fociety. He was born, and received his firft impreffions, too, in times, when the fpirit of liberty in his native land excited every latent fpark of genius and adventure. Though the faperior and irresistible power of France damped and crushed all hopes of maintaining the independence of Corfica, the tone and temper of mind to which the unequal ftruggle gave birth, the ardent fpirit of exertion remained in the youthful bofom of Buonaparte, who, by a feries of incidental circumftances, was led into the famous école militaire of France, where he added the accomplishments to be acquired by the moft refined, to the benefits derived from one of the fimpleft and most virtuous nations in Europe. To perfonal courage, carried to the verge of temerity, and military art and ftratagem, he united blameless, and, with his inferiors in ftation, affable manners. Of a firm and undaunted fpirit, and a genius penetrating, fublime, and inventive, he diftinguished difficulties from impoflibilities, difcerned the nature and difpofitions of men, and bodies of men, and not only improved, but, in fome degree, created conjunctures. He had taken a wide range over the ancient as well as modern world, and chofen the greatest and moft heroic models for his imitation. His letters, his fpeeches, his actions, all proclaimed a fublimity of courage, imagination, and defign, beyond the limits of vulgar concep tion. In fuch times, it was certainly to be expected, that the genius of the warlike fhould prevail over that of the metaphyfical politician. Not more than a week had elapfed, after the general's arrival in Paris, when it was clearly perceived that his fentiments were wholly in op portion to the jacobins, and on the fide of the moderate party. It was almoft as foon perceived that he confidered the deftinies of France as in his own hands, and that he would not brook either any fuperior or equal. He fpoke in a tone of laconic decifion, which fufficiently indicated the opinion he entertained of his talents, power, and importance, It was a fingular spectacle to fee fo many generals, and thefe of the firft rate, in the midft of a war in Paris. Buonaparte was fupported by the prefence, countenance, and authority of Moreau, Berthier, Lefebre, Serrurier, Macdonald, Murat, Berryer, and feveral other general officers. In other circumftances, fuch a congrefs of generals, in the feat of the government and legiflature, would probably have occafioned fome murmurs of jealoufy and diffatisfaction; but every paffion was hushed, and every head bowed down before the man, who was not only the idol of France, but the admiration of the world. The day fixed on by the direc tory and legislative councils for the feaft in honour of the two generals, Buonaparte and Moreau, was the feventh of November. There was nothing extraordinary, in fuch an entertainment; on the arrival of Buonaparte from Egypt, or what was not to have been expected.-But neither is it unnatural to fuppofe that the politics of the day might in fome fhape and degree, infinuate themselves into this defign after it was formed, although it would not be reafonable to afcribe its original formation to any other caufe than what is most natural and obvious. It ferved to folemnize the union and friendship between the greate greatest military chiefs of the republic, and what Buonaparte withed and aimed at, the union of all parties. It ferved alfo, in fome meafure, to lull all fufpicion of an approaching political explofion. It could fcarcely be expected that any plots were hatching in an affembly convened for the expreffion of common fentiments, and harmonized by the power of mufic. The Temple of Victory was adorned for the occafion in the most magnificent manner. There was a difplay of the most beautiful tapestries of the gobelins, and the walls were decorated with an immenfe number of ftandards, taken in the courfe of the war from the enemies of the republic. On the organ of the church, or temple, various airs were played, fuitable to the occafion. To this feaft there were no women admitted, nor yet any fpectators, The number of guests was feven hundred and fifty. At the head of the principal table was placed the prefident of the council of elders; on his right hand Gohier, the prefident of the directory; on his left, general Moreau; next in order came Lucian Buonaparte, prefident of the council of five hundred, and then the general, his brother. Among the toafts that were given there were two, which were fuppoled to exprefs the fentiments of the better and founder part of the nation. The prefident of the directory gave for his toaft, "peace:" general Buonaparte, "the union of all Frenchmen." Neither the generals Jourdan and Augereau, nor Briot, nor fome others of the most active jacobins, though members of the legislature, came to this entertainment: the tone of which was not fuited to their tempers. It was characterized from beginning to end by filence, and an air of conftraint. There was no other converfation than fome obfervations on the mufic. After fome public toafts Buonaparte difappeared, and the feaft was over in little more than an hour. In proportion as matters were concerted between Buonaparte and Sieyes, and Roederer, whom they admitted as their confident and co-adjutor, and as their project feemed practicable and rife for execution, The women in France, after all their zealous services in the revolution, have been but very fcurvily treated by their countrymen, "mark too what return the women have met with for all their horrid fervices, where, to exprefs their fentiments of civism and abhorrence of royalty, they threw away the character of their fex, and cut the amputated limbs of their murdered countrymen. Surely thefe patriotic women merited that the rights of their fex fhould be confidered in full council, and they were well entitled to a feat; but there is not a tingle act of their government, in which the fex is confidered as having any rights whatever, or that they are things to be cared for."Profeffor Robinson's proof of a conspiracy against all the religions and governments of Europe. +Roederer, originally from Lorraine, and formerly a counfellor in the parliament of Metz, was appointed a member of the conftituent affembly. He then became a procureur fyndic of the department of Paris, journalist and political writer. He was a valuable tool to most of the jacobins that fucceeded each other in the government. He efcaped through them all, and cultivated the favour of all who were willing to employ him. He is charged by many with deceit, perfidy, and roguery. These charges may be the offspring, in times of fuch fierce contention, of hatred and envy. It is, however, univerfally allowed that no one in Paris, not even a lawyer, deferved a higher reputation for intrigue, pliability, and artifice. He certainly was not defi execution, it was communicated to wider and wider circles of fuch members of the legislative affemblies, as they reckoned with confidence among their friends and adherents. And, what is remarkable in fo communicative a nation, the secret, though neceffarily impart ed to a great number of perfons, was kept till the moment of the intended explosion. On the evening of the day after the feast, twenty members of both councils affembled at the house of Lemercier, prefident of the council of elders. Thefe were Lucian Buonaparte, Boulay de la Meurthe, Lemercier, Courtois, Cabarus, Regnier, Fargues, Villetard, Chazal, Barillon, Bouteville, Cornet, Wimar, Delecloy, Fregeville, le Hatry, Goupil, Prefelyn, Rouffeau, Herwyn, Cornudet. Thele legiflators, after taking an oath of fecrecy, feparated, for the purpose of preparing as many as they could truft for the new crifis. By an article of the conftitution of the third year of the republic, 1795, it was established " that the council of elders might change whenever they should think proper, the refidence of the legislative bodies; that in this cafe they should appoint a new place and time for the meeting of the two councils; and that whatever the elders fhould decree, with regard to this point, fhould be held irrevocable. This fundamental law, which had been adopted on the recommendation and authority of abbé Sieyes, who had been a member of the commiffion for framing the conftitution, be came the fulcrum, as it were, of a new revolution. A majority of the commiffion of infpectors, agreably to what had been agreed on, on the pretext of jacobin confpiracies ready to burft forth in Paris (an alarm for which, according to fome writers, there was not a little foundation), fent letters of convocation to the members of the council of elders, with the exception of fuch as were diftinguifhed by an excels of jacobinical ardour, and at eight o'clock in the morning of the ninth of November, the members, to whom letters had been fent, at five, affembled at their ufual place of meeting. The greateft number, ignorant of the caufe of this unufual convocation, were informed, by thofe in the fecret, of a confpiracy that was brewing, and alvifed the adoption of whatever effectual measures fhould be propofed for averting the danger. As foon as the affembly was formed, Carnot, one of the infpectors, having afcended the tribune, reprefented the dangers which threatened the country, and expatiated on the neceflity of fpeedy and effective measures for its deliverance. He was followed in the fame, but in a more animated and alarming strain by Regnier, who, in conclufion, declared, that the remedy which had been prepared, was, to tranfport the legislative body to a commune near Paris, where they might deliberate fafely on the measures neceffary for the falvation of the country. He affured the council, at the fame time, that Buonaparte was ready to undertake the execu cient in the knowledge of men and bufinefs. This is the fame Roederer that is noticed ⚫in our volume for 1792, on the occafion of the kings throwing himself into the arms of the constituent affembly. See volume XXXIV. of this work-Hiftory of Europe, page 42.. tion of whatever decree he might be charged with. Regnier, therefore moved, that the council fhould be referred to St. Cloud. The difcuffion of other motions, made by different members, was overvoted, and Regnier's carried by a great majority. It was farther moved and agreed to, that this tranflation fhould take place on the following day; that Buonaparte should be charged with the execution of the decree, and to take the neceffary measures for the fecurity of the national representation; that, for this end, he thould be invefted with the general command of every kind of armed force at Paris; that he fhould be called into the council to take the requifite oaths; and, finally, that a meffage, containing the refolution of the council, fhould be fent to the directory, and to the council of five hundred. An addrefs was alfo voted to the French people, ftating the right poffeffed by the council of elders to remove the legislative body to St. Cloud, and allo the motives which had induced them to ufe this privilege in the prefent circumftances. Their general object, they alleged, was, to reprefs a fpirit of infubordination, faction, and endless commotion, and to obtain a fpeedy peace both within and without the territories of the republic. This addrefs had the defired effect. The Parifians, defirous of peace, confident in Buonaparte, and breathing inceffantly after fomething new, waited calmly for the developement and catastrophe of the piece now to be acted. Buonaparte, thus invefted with irrefiftible military power, obeyed the welcome fummons, and appeared in the hall of the affembly, accompanied by Berthier, Lefebre, Macdonald, and other general of ficers. He pronounced a fhort fpeech at the bar, and swore that he would execute the decree of the council in his own name, and that of his companions in arms. "Woe be to thofe, he faid, who with for commotion and diforder. Affifted by my brave companions I will put a ftop to them. Examples are not to be looked for in paft times. Nothing in hiftory resembles the close of the eighteenth century: nor is any thing in the clofe of the eighteenth century like the prefent moment. We want a republic founded on civil liberty; or a national representation. We fhall have it. I fwear we fhall." The meflage of the elders being read at the bar of the council of five hundred, the deputies, who were not in the fecret, or who were of the democratical party, were ftruck with aftonishment, but kept filence. All deliberation was fufpended, and the houfe adjourned till next day, at twelve o'clock. On going out of the hall, fome of the members cried vive la republique. Others who began to entertain fome vague fufpicions of what was intended, added, vive la confiitution !Meanwhile, the walls of Paris were covered with proclamations prepared for the occafion. In one of thefe Buonaparte acquainted the national guard with the meafures that had been taken by the council of elders. In another he informed the foldiers of the command which had been conferred on him, inviting them to second him with their accustomed courage and firmnels, promifing them that liberty, victory, and peace, and to reftore the repub lic to the rank which two years ago |