STUDY VII. 69 



wars, of diflblute manners, of afTafTinations, of 

 Gothic laws, of barbarous cuftoms ; and furnifhes 

 nothing interefting to the Reader, let the Prefident 

 Henault, who compares it to the Roman Hiftory, 

 fay what he will. It is not merely becaiife the 

 fiélions of the Romans are more ingenious than, 

 ours ; it is becaufe we do not find in our Hiftory, 

 that of a People, but only the hiftory of fome 

 great family. 



From this, however, muft be excepted the Lives 

 of fome good Kings, fuch as thofe of St. Louis, 

 of Charles V. of Henry IV ; and of fome good 

 Men, who are interefting to us, for this very rea- 

 fon, that they interefted themfelves in behalf of 

 the Nation. In every other cafe, it is impofiible 

 to difcover about what the Government was em- 

 ploying itfelf : it fttidied the intereft only of the 

 Nobility. The Country was fubjugated fuccef- 

 fively by the Romans, the Francs, the Goths, the 

 Alains, the Normans. The facility with which 

 France embraced Chriftianity, is a proof that flie 

 fought, in religion, a refuge from the m-iferies of 

 ilavery. To this fentiment of confidence the 

 Clergy is indebted for the firft rank which it ob- 

 tained in the State. But the Clergy foon degene- 

 rated from it's firft fpirit j and fo far from medi- 

 tating the deftru6lion of tyranny, enlifted under 

 the banner of tyrants ; adopted all their cuftorns ; 



F 5 afTumed 



