_ Cipal figure. 
HISTORY-OF EUROPE. 
to which certain cowardly members 
were liable. T'he affembly, accord- 
ing to its eftablifhed cuitom in all 
cafes relative to that people, pafied 
~ over the infults of the Parifians, 
Without thewing the {malleft fpirit, 
~and thereby became liable to the 
neceflary confequence, of being ex- 
pofed to ftill greater infults in future. 
For fome tme paft, but particu- 
larly fince the late animofities which 
had arifen among the parties, flories 
of plots and confpiracies had been 
moft unaccountably fpread through 
every part of the kingdom, and 
deeply affeéted the minds of the 
people. Some of thefe were charg- 
ed direétly: upon the court, among 
which the intended efcape of the 
king and the royal family from 
Veriailles to Metz, formed the prin- 
ration of the king to his former 
power, merely to render him an in- 
itrument for the attainment of their 
own ends, ‘and for further fecuring 
_ what they attained. How far thefe 
plots were real or pretended, it is 
ampoffible at prefent to decide. 
‘There certainly never was a period 
r a country in which fabrications 
of this fort, however falfe, and 
however palpably inconfiftent and 
abfurd, would have been received 
_ with greater avidity, or credited 
with lefs enquiry, than France at 
this time.’ 
prevailing party ; and we have feen, 
that they poflefled means, which 
have not often been equalled, of 
making fuch impreffions on the pub-" 
lic mind ‘as they deemed neceflary. 
On the other hand, it would be 
idle to fuppofe, that the multitude 
bd 
Others were charged’ 
‘upon the ariftocratic party, who 
- were fuppofed to intend the refte- 
It is likewife to be-re-- 
_ membered, that ideas of plots were 
at this time highly neceflary to the 
(37 
of men, whofe fituation and condi- 
tion in life had been fo fuddenly 
and totally changed, muft not be 
‘much difcontented, and that they 
would not readily embrace any well- 
founded {cheme for the recovery of 
what they had loft; fo that we may 
take it for granted, that there would 
have been an abundance of piotters, 
if there had been any feafible plot 
formed. But the total defect of 
evidence to prove the exiftence of 
ahy, at a time when the difcovery 
was fo eagerly fought, and fo much 
depended on the proof, ftrongly in- 
dicate that thefe reports and alarms 
were mere political fabrications, 
calculated to anfwer certain pur- 
pofes, and to produce certain ob- 
vious effects. Indeed the ftate of 
public affairs, the temper that pre- 
-vailed throughout the country, and 
‘the arms in the hands of the pea- 
fantry, all concurred in rendering 
it impoffible for the ariftocrates to 
form any rational and well-founded 
{cheme, for the prefent recovery of 
their affairs. It is not.to be doubted 
but that they were guilty of great 
indifcretions; and that in their 
cups, through their habitual loofe- 
nefs.of fpeech, and natural turn for 
boafting, they faid many things 
which they never thought of when 
fober. This-was in character, and 
to be expected. 
The reports, however, produced 
the fame effeé&t in one refpedt, as. if 
the plots had been real, by exciting 
a great and general ferment through 
the nation. It was not to be ex- 
pected that the Parifians, ever cre- 
dulous, and ever. fufpicious, fhould 
be the laft that were thus affected. 
Every thing began to bear a moft 
darigerous appearance ‘in that city, 
and all who had witnefled their late ~ 
violences, had eyery thing now to 
[C 3] * apprehend ; 
