668 
lic; I shalt become the first consul, and 
will cause you to be hanged !” 
At this period there were two factions 
in France: one defended absolate mo- 
narchy; another was zealous for a con- 
stitution, in which the division of powers 
should be recognised. ‘The former had 
but one object, the aggrandisement of 
the first magistrate; the latter varied as 
to the means, for some of thena wished 
for a change of the dynasty, and Spain 
and England were both said to have had 
. their partisans. Mirabeau, by turns, 
leaned to all these different parties, and 
was at one and the same time accused 
of being an Oileanist, and a hired zealot 
for the court. Lt has even been stated 
and believed, that he received money 
from M. d’Eyalité, and Louis XVI. His 
friends, however, assert, that all these 
waverings proceeded from an ambitious 
mind, anxious to gratify itself; his sud- 
den wealth, however, gives but too fair 
an opportunity of charging him with the 
grossest corruption. In one of his secret 
conferences with the king, he concluded 
by giving his majesty some excellent ad- 
vice: “ Pursue honestly the path pointed 
out by the constitution, or prepare your- 
self for a fresh revolution.” 
The court imagined that Mirabeau was 
entirely gained over; he however ap- 
eared once more in the society of the 
hie and, after undergoing a severe 
scrutiny, protested that he was devoted 
to the public cause, and declared, “ that 
he would die a Jacobin.” 
He at length lost himself not only with 
the popular but monarchical party, by 
belonging entirely to, neither; both, there- 
fore, meditated his ruin, and accused 
each other with his death. It is still the 
opinion of some that he died of poison, 
and it has of late been asserted with 
confidence, that agua lophana was the 
fatal drug employed on this occasion. 
Of this, like other occult crimes, there is 
of course more of suspicion than proof, 
Eyen on his death-bed he appeared 
sublime, and the sayings of the last hours 
of his life are still interesting. ‘ The 
monarchy ought to mourn for me,” said 
he; “ for, on my death, the factions will 
tear it in pieces.” On his stomach re- 
fusing to perform its usual office, he ob- 
served prophetically, “ When the first 
functionary is bad, the whole system will 
soon be destroyed.” On the night of his 
demise, he received a deputation from 
the National Assembly; and having learn- 
ed that the debate of succession was the 
order of the day for the morrow, he an- 
Retrospect of French Literature—Miscellanies. 
nounced a memoir of his own on that 
subject, and addéd, “ that it would be 
curious to hear aman against testaments, 
who had made his own testament the 
preceding evening.” 
Hie bequeathed all his works to the 
bishop of Autun, He was surrounded 
aud attended in his last moments by his 
friends Champfort, Tvochet, Lamark, 
Cabanis, and 'Yalleyrand. On this occa- 
sion he remarked, with an affectation of 
heroism, “ [t 1s pleasing to me to have 
lived fur the people; it is glorious to die 
in the midst of them !” 
Even his last moments were 
with writing; he seemed to wish for 
opium, to put an end to his tortures ; 
but recovering a little, he expressed him- 
self as if about to sleep.’  Dormiz.” was 
the last word traced by his pen. While 
telling those about him that his strength 
was greater than his hopes, he was seized 
with a convulsive pang, which forced 
from him a cry of anguish, and expired ! 
This happened on the 2d of April, 1791. 
On his death being announced to the 
National Assembly, a lung silence en- 
sued. The Jamentations of grief at length 
gave way to the language of the passions. 
“ We have lost him,” cried Malouet, “ at 
the very moment when he had returned 
to a love of order and of good princi- 
ples.” Liancourt reminded the deputies 
of his famous saying, * I shall combat, 
by turns, the factions of all parties.” 
Marat exclaimed, “ He was a patriot of 
a day, but he is no more!” Pastoret, in 
the name of the department, demanded 
the honours of the Pantheon. The thea- 
tres were shut, as in times of géneral 
calamity. The street in which he died 
received the appellation of rue de Mira- 
beau, and a magnificent funeral cere- 
mony took place, at the expence of the 
state, Cerutti pronounced the oration 
in the church of St. Eustacius. Many 
of the stern republicans condeinned this 
profusion of funeral pomp, and asked 
what more could be done for virtue? 
Petion refused to assist at the interment 
of a man gained by the court. 
By the care of his friend, General 
Carteaux, the celebrated Houdon was 
enabled after his death to model that 
bust in which Mirabeauw still breathes. 
Tt was his rival Barnave who started the 
idea of engraving upon his pedestal his 
celebrated answer to M. de Brezé :— 
“ Allez dire 4 ceux qui vous ont envoyé 
que nous sommes ici par la volonté du 
peuple, & que nous n’en sortirons que 
par la puissance des sama sic he 
ne 
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