64] 
purfued to the dreadful confequences, 
which have fince enfued. Before 
the clofe of the year 1789, a cele- 
brated member of the Britifh par- 
liament, in a work, which will re- 
main to the lateft pofterity as a mo- 
nument of énlightened patriotifm 
and unrivalled political judgment, 
not only warned the French nation 
of the dreadful precipice, upon which 
it ftood, but foretold, witha circum- 
ftantial exa€tnefs, thefe horrors, 
which, though fince acted almoft un- 
der our eyes, we hefitate to believe. 
At the fame time, he laid open to 
the view of all Europe, the defigns 
of a faction, which aimed direétly, 
both from policy and upon prin- 
ciple, at the total fubverfion of all 
its eftablithed governments. 
Tt was evident to the projectors 
of the French revolution, that their 
plan mutt neceflarily exceed the li- 
mits of their own territory. Con- 
{cious of the defperate lengths to 
which their fyftem led, and refolved 
to pufh it to its utmoft extent, they 
could not expect, that cither the po- 
ey or generofity of the neighbour- 
ing ftates would fuffer them to re- 
main unconcerned fpefators of the 
fcenes they were preparing to att, 
or inattentive to the principles efta- 
blifhed, in order to juftify or produce 
them. They faw, that it was not 
lefs neceflary to the fuccefs of the 
general plan, than to the execution 
of that part, in which they were im- 
amediately engaged, to involve the 
other nations, without delay, in the 
fame diftractions. _ And notwith- 
ftanding they failed, for the moft 
part; in this attempt, yet it isnot to 
be doubted, but that the countenance 
they received amongft individuals 
in foreign countMes, though not at- 
tehded with fatal confequences to 
thofe sounwies themfelves, yet by 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1790. 
the credit it gave to the exaggerated 
accounts given by their journalifts of 
the general prevalence of their prin- 
ciples, contributed, in no fmall-de- 
gree, to encourage the prevalent 
faction to the perpetration of thofe 
dreadful excefles, which they were 
afterwards wrought up to commit. 
Such were the zeal and activity 
of the French agitators, and fuch 
the extent and boldnefs of their 
plans, that it is notorious, that there 
was no part of Europe in which their 
agents were not eftablifhed for the 
purpofe of diffeminating their per- 
nicious principles. | Great-Britain 
and Ireland offered, upon many ob- 
vious accounts, the faireft field’to the 
induftry of thefe democratic miffion- 
aries. It was not neglected, and 
was cultivated not without fuccefs, 
Active and zealous partizans were 
found ready to co-operate with 
them. Nor wasthis confined to in- 
dividuals: but various political fo- 
cieties, of more or lefs ancient de- 
nomination, made it their bufine(s 
to propagate their principles, and 
recommend theirexamplé.. The no- 
bility of France had not been long 
proferibed and the church plunder- 
ed, nor the king many days led cap- 
tive to Paris, before letters of con- 
gratulation were fent from feveral of 
thefe focieties in both kingdoms, and 
a regular official correfpondence o- 
pened between them and the leaders 
in France. In the tranfactions of 
thefe focieties, the means by which 
the revolution was carried on and _ 
effected, if not always praifed, were 
yet pronounced to be fanétified by 
the end; the example was recom- 
mended asa glorious pattern for the 
imitation of mankind, and fan-— 
guine expectations were held out, 
that it was but the firit, though an 
effential and leading ftep to the gene- 
ral 
