HISTORY OF EUROPE. 
dered and burnt fa many of the 
gentlemen’s chateaux, nor of pity 
for the inhabitants of that beautiful 
country which they had defolated. 
The national affembly feemed like- 
wife to receive the impreffion in- 
tended by thefe publications, for in 
a little time they interfered, by put- 
ting a ftop to the proceedings at 
Macon, while a number of Aatroci- 
ous criminals ftill remained to be 
tried. 
Such was the ftate of things in 
the beginning of Auguft, 1789, the 
afflembly being then deeply en- 
. gaged in framing that memorable 
declaration of rights, which was to 
be the foundation of their new con- 
ftitution, and which they confi- 
dered qs the firft and. greateft of all 
their labours; when they were fud- 
denly interrupted by the 
arrival in one day of 
expreffes or letters from almoit eve- 
ry part of the kingdom, with details 
of the dreadful devaftations which 
were laying wafte the face of the 
country, and which, from their pre- 
fent appearance and violence, feem- 
ed to threaten nothing lefs than 
{peedy and general deftruction. 
Al] the landed proprietors in the 
affembly were in a lefs or greater 
degree involved in the calamity ; 
with the material difference, that 
while many had to lament the de- 
ftruétion of their houfes, and the 
plunder of all their moveable pro- 
perty, others had as yet no farther 
caufe of complaint than the general 
refufal of the tenantry to pay their 
rents, or to fulfil any of their other 
cuftomary duties. ‘The terror was, 
however, general; and having had 
leifure during the feafon allotted for 
dinner to ruminate upon the doleful 
details which they received, confla- 
. grations, murders, and maffacres 
Vou. XXXII. 
Auguft 4th. 
[17 
were the only fubje&s which could 
be talked or thought of. Nothing 
could accordingly be more triftful 
than their appearance in going to 
“the evening fitting; and before the 
commencement of bufinefs, an un- 
ufual and extraordinary degree of 
agitation was vifible throughout the 
afiembly. Upon the fame principle 
on which mariners, under the im- 
mediate danger of a tempeft, will 
throw much valuable property over- 
board, in the hope of faving the re- 
mainder, fo it would feem upon this 
occafion, that ‘the great land-own- 
ers were feized with a fadden im- 
pulfe ef voluntarily facrificing a 
large portion of their rights, and 
poffeffions, in the hope of retaining 
thereby quiet and permanent fecu- 
rity for what was left. They feem- 
ed now likewife generally to adopt 
the idea, that coalefcing heartily 
and without referve with the third 
eftate, was become actually effential 
to their prefervation. 
Under thefe or fimilar impref- 
fions, the vifcount de Noailles, fe- 
conded by the duke d’ Aiguillon, 
opened a {cene, which, with refpect 
to its effet and confequences, was 
perhaps the moft extraordinary ever 
exhibited in any aflembly. Thefe 
noblemen reprefented with much 
energy, that the real caufe of the pre- 
fent diforders was the mifery of the 
country people, who were overborne 
by the double oppreffion of public 
contributions and feudal duties; that 
although the lords in general might 
be lenient and humane, yet their 
ftewards, their judges, their game- 
keepers, and their agents, were ri- 
gid and tyrannical; that the inftant 
when that force, which was the only 
foundation of an oppreflive govern- 
ment, was deftroyed, the whole fa- 
bric muft naturally be diffolved, and 
[2] every 
