- 
His FOR Y OF 
ines of demarcation between the 
rights and claims of the rich and 
‘the poor, the great and the fmall, 
required, whether with regard to 
their ftability, or to the character 
of the leguiilators, that none’ of 
them feparately, much lefs the 
whole, fhould have been paifled, 
without deep thought, calm deli- 
beration, long difcuiion, clofe en- 
quiry into facts and contequences, 
and a vigorous exertion of all the 
human forefight in looking to pof~ 
fible or probable confequences. 
The event was, that the nobility 
and clergy in the provinces, feeling 
no part of that enthufiafm whica~ 
operated on their brethen upon the 
‘4th of Auguft, and being, on the con- 
trary, in the higheft degree irritated 
by the devaftation and-ruin-which 
they were enduring, were much 
diflatisfied with, and very generaily 
condemned the conduct of their de- 
legates, in thus haftily facrificing 
their rights and property, without 
their*concurrence, and without ob- 
taining the f{maileft fecurity, either 
prefent or future, for their perfons, 
or for whatever itill remained of 
their ’-poffeffions. On the other 
hand, the illiterate peafantry, hav- 
ing received only very. imperfect 
accounts, and forming very confufed 
ideas of what had paffed in the af- 
fembly, yet the mixture of truth 
and falfehood which’ reached them, 
that the feudal fyftem was entirely 
overthrown, all privileges and dii- 
tinétions between men for ever a- 
bolithed, that all open lands were 
the property of the nation (by 
which they underftood themfelves) 
with that addition, which was re- 
ceived more ‘greedily than ‘any 
Otlicr, that no rents were in future 
tobe paic, thefe things they thought 
‘Mot only afforded ’a full jultification 
EUROPE. {25 
cf their paft violence, but fufficient 
authority for its continuance; nor is 
it much to be wondered at, that they 
ihouid confider thefe fudden and 
extraordinary beneits as either the 
reward or the effect of their own 
cutrages. Under this perfuafion 
they accordingly renewed them 
with greater violence than ever, 
being now . freed from the dread 
which had hitherto attended the 
peryetration of fimilarcrimes. The 
national affembly paffed very fevere 
laws to prévent thele diforders, and 
to punish the offenders; but they 
not being fupported. with vigour, 
and no proper force affigned for 
carrying them into execution, they 
produced little effect. 
But the proprietaries at length, 
whofe fupinenefs hitherto had been 
a matter of general aftonifhment, 
took up arms in their own defence, 
‘and checked the barbarous ravages 
of the peafantry. To this late-dif- 
covered vigour on their fide Rabaut 
attributes the falvation of France ; 
for he obferves, that that clafs of 
men who had nothing to lofe, and 
every thing to gain in the confufion 
of revolutions, was thereby deterred 
from aflembling. I 
As an appearance of fome tran- 
quillity and good-temper now pre- 
vailed in the court and affembly, 
the king ventured upon the appoint- 
ment of anew miniftry. ‘The great 
feal was given to the archbifhop of 
Bourdeaux; the nominationof bene- 
fices to the archbifhop of Vienne; 
the war department was committed 
to M. dela Tour du Pin; while St. 
Prieft and Montmorin, who had 
beea recalled with Neckar, were 
reinftated in their former offices. 
The three former were members cf 
the affembly, but they ceafed from 
fitting or voting there after their 
appointment, 
