French-Dumouriez returns to his Camp-Defection of his Troops-He quits the Camp and joins the Austrians— Is joined by 1500 of his men-The Austrian Commander recalls his Proclamation, and declares the Armistice at an end-His conduct justified-Causes of the inactivity of the Austrians at this period-Dampierre takes the command of the French Army and attacks the Allies-He is defeated and killed-Is succeeded by Custine-An English Army joins the Austrians-The Allies drive the French from the fortified Camp of Famars-Lay siege to Valenciennes--Vigorous measures of the Convention for arming and training the whole population of France— The Allies force the strong position of Cæsar's CampDivision of the allied Army-Duke of York forms the siege of Dunkirk-The covering Army defeated-Siege raised-Quesnoi taken by the Austrians-The Austrians forced to raise the siege of Maubeuge-State of things at the close of the Campaign in Flanders-Operations on the Rhine-Mentz reduced by the Prussians-The lines of Weissemberg forced by the Prussians---Surrender of Toulon to Lord Hood-Military Operations-Superiority of the French---Evacuation of Toulon-Massacre of the Loyalists-Account of Ships captured and destroyedName of Toulon changed to Port-Mountain---Reduction of the French Settlements in the East Indies by the British-Capture of Tobago-Internal affairs of FranceStruggles between the Jacobins and Girondists-Brissot's Address to his Constituents-A true picture of FranceArts of the Girondists turned against themselves-Camille Desmoulin's answer to Brissot---His Birth, Character, and Conduct-His concern with the Massacres of September-Means taken for the destruction of the Girondists-They are put under arrest-The system of terror established-Persecution of Foreigners-Mr. Pitt declared, by the Convention, to be an enemy of the

human race-The right of assassinating him referred to the consideration of a Committee-Erection of a Revolutionary Tribunal-Trial and Murder of the Queen of France-The Dauphin consigned to the care and instruction of Simon, a Cobler-Vindication of the Queen's Character by the absence of all proof against her-Trial of Brissot and his associates-Interference of the Jacobin lub to abridge the proceedings---Decree of the Convention for that purpose---The Brissotins condemned and executed--Trial of Camille Desmoulins---His blasphemous answer to the Judges---His Execution---Execution of Le Brun--Madame Roland---Barnave---and Bailli.

[1793.] By the murder of Louis the Sixteenth a deep stain was inflicted on the national character of France, which not all the enormities that followed that dreadful event can efface; and a lasting impression made on the minds of surrounding people which centuries of expiation and atonement will scarcely suffice to remove. The Monarch, whom philosophising rebels had consigned to the scaffold, was a just, a merciful, and pious Prince, abounding in virtue, but, unhappily, deficient in energy and decision of character: his faults proceeded from the excess of his virtuous feelings; his aversion from acts of severity, and his abhorrence from the effusion of human blood, led him to encourage rebellion by forbearance to adopt the necessary means of repression on the first manifestation of a rebellious spirit ;--and to become

the unintentional instrument of producing the destruction of millions, by refusing to sign the necessary order for repelling, by force, the earliest efforts of treachery and revolt. M. de Malesherbes, his venerable defender, ably pourtrayed the character of this persecuted Sovereign, and the cause of the revolution which occasioned his death, in an eloquent burst of virtuous indignation, on receiving the fatal intelligence from the Abbè Edgeworth, who repaired from the scaffold to his house." And it was in the name of the nation," exclaimed the agonized advocate, "that the villains perpetrated this parricide-in the name of the French, who, had they been worthy of so good a King, would have acknowledged him to be the best they ever had.-Yes, the very best; for he was as pious as Louis IX. as just as Louis XII. as humané as Henry IV. and exempt from all their failings. His only fault was that he loved us too well; thence conducting himself too much as our father, and too little as our King; and constantly labouring to procure for us more happiness than we were capable of enjoying. But his faults proceeded, in some degree, from his virtues, whereas ours flow entirely from our vices. He justly imputed the destruction in which the nation was involved, to that spurious philosophy which had invaded every class, and by which, he acknowledged, he

had himself been led astray. It was that which had, as it were by magic, fascinated the eyes of the nation, and made them sacrifice the substance to the shadow.To the mere words political liberty, France had sacrificed social liberty, which she possessed in a greater degree, according to M. de Malesherbes, than any other nation, because she had multiplied and embellished the sources of enjoyment more than any other nation. The people, conscious of being completely invested with the liberty of doing every thing which the law permitted, conceived that political liberty conferred the right of doing what the law forbade, and thence France was inundated with crimes. Intoxicated with the idea of their sovereignty, they imagined that, by overthrowing the monarchy, they should place themselves upon the throne; that by promoting the confiscation of the property of the rich, they should transfer it to their own hands. Wretches who were most eager in the diffusion of such absurd notions unfortunately were sent, as representatives, to the National Assembly; and their first efforts were directed against their Sovereign.*

This is a just picture, as far as it goes; abstract terms unintelligible to the multitude, even more ignorant in France than in most other countries, had bewildered their imaginations,

Bertrand's Private Memoirs, Vol. III. p. 279, 280,

inflamed their passions, inflated their vanity, and betrayed them into the commission of enormities which their uninformed and perverted minds regarded as necessarily flowing from the new principles which they had been so industriously taught. The question, indeed, arguing abstractedly, was not precisely what M. de Malesherbes stated it to be,-whether the people of France were allowed to do whatever the law did not forbid? but whether the law permitted them to do what was essential to the enjoyment of rational freedom? The conceptions of the people, however, he accurately described, as well as the consequences to which they led.-With equal truth he observed, that all the efforts of the traitors to debase their Sovereign had been vain. His steady virtue had triumphed over their wickedness.-Malesherbes advised Mr. Edgeworth instantly to leave Paris, and to fly from an accursed land, which could afford him no refuge from the Tigers, who thirsted for his blood.* But he vainly flattered himself, that his popularity would secure his own grey hairs from their rage-as if the fury of tigers would discriminate!--His attachment to his King was never forgiven nor forgotten; and, three years after, at the age of seventy-five, he was con

* Idem. Ibid. P. 281.