7^ 



trophe of the illuflrious brothers, the Dewlts (hews how popular rumour 

 may be direfted by party rage, to the deftruftion of the m.oft eflimable 

 and venerable charafters*. But, on no occafion was the inventive talent 

 of faftion and the deadly efficacy of popular rumour more powerfully ex- 

 emplified, than in the progrefs of the French revolution!. 



It 



nic fear of popery was mod fuccefsfully employed, to enflame the fanalicifm of the intole- 

 rant mullitude. Every day teemed with new reports of confpiracies by the papifts. They 

 had entered into one plot (it was faid) of extraordinary atrocity, indeed, no lefs than to 

 blow up the mtrJThames with gun powder, in order to drown the city. — And we find the 

 parliament at that time giving a fanflion to popular credulity and adopting it as a rule of 

 conduft by their refolution, " that common fame was a good ground of proceeding," 



* When the Dutch, in their diftrefs, began to cad their eyes on the young Prince of 

 Orange, as their only hope ; John Detuit who continued to oppofe the repeal of the perpe- 

 tual edifl, became the objedl of popular refentment, the misfortunes of the republic were 

 falfely afcribed to his condufl, airaffins afluated by no other motive than miftaken zeal, at- 

 tacked, and with many wounds left him, for dead ; his brother Cornelius, who had ferved 

 with prudence and courage on board the fleet, was obliged by ficknefs to come on Ihore. 

 One Tichelaar a barber, a man noted for infamy, accufed him of having endeavoured by 

 bribes, to engage him to murder the Prince of Orange, the accufation, though attended 

 by the mod improbable and abfurd circumftances, greedily received by the multitude. — 

 Cornelius was cited before a court of judicature ; the judges, blinded by prejudice, or not 

 daring to oppofe the popular torrent, condemned him to the queftion. He was delivered to 

 the hands of the executioners, and torn in pieces with inhuman torments. Amidft his ago- 

 nies, he dill made protedations of his innocence, and repeated an ode of Horace, which 

 contained fentiments fuitable to his fituation. The judges condemned him, to lofe his 

 offices, and to be baniihed the commonwealth, the penfionary, who had not been terrified 

 from performing that part of a kind brother, during the profecution, came to his brother's 

 prifon, determined to accompany him to the place of exile ; the fignal was given to the po- 

 pulace ; the prifon doors were forced ; a thoufand hands vied with each other which (hoald 

 be fird embrued in the blood of the De-wits. Even their death did not fatiate the brutal rage 

 of the multitude, they exercifed on the dead bodies of thefe virtuous citizens indignities 

 (hocking to be recited. 



-|- Reports were circulated tending to fliew the violent intentions of the court, as if it was 

 utterly bent on the extirpation of the French nation. The fcarcity of corn gave rife to a 

 variety of injurious rumours. The groupes which aflembled in the ftreets were inflamed, by 

 the condant arrival of bulletins or notes giving an account, of the proceedings as Ferfailles, 

 and of the fpeeches and exprefllons of popular orators. One of the charges againft the 

 Queen was, that fhe had procured the conftruftion of a mine under the hall of the national 



affembly. 



