8] 
all ages and conditions, to be thrown 
into one undiftinguifhed mafs of 
general confufion, 
It appears from the letters pub- 
lifhed under the name of Groen- 
velt, who fays he was prefent 
when many of the tranfactions 
which he relates took place, (and 
who, though profefledly a German, 
was a great admirer of the revolu- 
tion, as well as a ftrong democrate 
in principle) that falfehoods and 
forgeries were the conitant refources 
and favourite weapons of the ca- 
bals in Paris. Some of the in- 
ftances which he mentions in fup- 
port of this affertion are fo curious, 
and at the fame time throw fo 
much light upon the hiftory of the 
time, that we fhall infert them. In 
writing to his fuppofed friend he 
fays, * You cannot form an idea 
of the impudence, with which the 
moft palpable lies are publithed 
and propagated among the people. 
The moft pofitive affertions, the 
moft ‘minute detail of faéts, the 
ftrongeft appearances of probability, 
\ are made to accompany the groffeft 
falfehoods, Fleffelles was the vic- 
tim of a pretended letter, which 
every body could repeat by heart, 
but-which no body has ever feen. 
Of the letter which is the only evi- 
cence againft Bezenval, there are 
in Paris a thoufand copies, but- 10 
original. «No fooner is it whif- 
pered in fome obfcure corner, that 
a certain monaitery is a magazine 
of arms, or of corn, than the report 
fpreads with rapidity, gathers 
ftrength, becomes a matter of cer- 
tainty, and yet the moment the 
houle is examined the whole is 
found to be groundlefs. 
* See Groenyelt, En 
Aspguit 1 sth, 1789, 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 
The con- : 
1790. 
vent of Montmartre has been twice 
befet by twenty or thirty thoufand 
men, who threatened it with de- 
ftruction, for having engroffed the 
provender of Paris; but no fooner 
was it fearched, by commiflioners 
authorized for the purpofe, than it 
appeared that it had barely provifion 
enough to fupply the houfe.””— 
« At one moment it is affirmed, 
that the ariftocratical confpirators 
‘have thrown’ a vaft quantity of 
bread.into the Seine; at another, 
that they mowed the green corn; 
a party of the national guard is 
immediately fent to the field, where 
the crime is faid to have been com- 
mitted, and finds the corn flanding, 
and affording the profpeé& of ‘an 
abundant harveft. ‘In ‘fhort, ‘the 
public is overwhelmed with lies and 
calumnies, and a prudent ‘man can 
{carcely give credit to any thing 
that he has not feen himfelf.”’ ’ 
And again, “ Many ‘of thefe 
falfehoods have certainly been de- 
liberately fabricated to ferve party 
purpofes ; and fome men, who pro- 
bably miftake a difregard of all 
moral obligations for profound po- 
licy, have been audacious and in- 
famous enough to publith falfe- 
hoods with the folemnities of laws. 
Letters have been forged in the 
name of the national ailembly, and 
edicts in that of the.king, exhorting 
the peafants to deftroy the patents 
and pedigrees of the nobility, and — 
to burn their caflles. ‘The effeét of 
thefe forgeries is already feenin the 
ruins and afhes to which fome of | 
the fineft buildings in Dauphiny, 
. Franche Compte, Britainy and Bur- 
gundy, have been reduced *.” 
Thus far Groenvelt; and this 
glith tranflation, p-p. 209, 210, and azz j letter dated 
charg¢ 
