142] 
words fufficiently fplendid to de- 
fcribe; although he informs us, 
* that the earth feemed to bring 
forth armies.” That, « nothing was 
to be feen any where but battalions 
of citizens, who, aflembled in thou- 
fands, were {wearing to live free, or 
to perifh. ‘The clang of arms, the 
military mujic, the banners floating 
in the wind, the delightful fenti- 
ments of brotherhood, which bound 
fo great a multitude to one and the 
fame caufe, all awakened in their 
hearts the enthufiafm of liberty,” 
And that «« France beheld four mil- 
lions of men in arms upon her plains; 
millions confcious of their ftrength, 
and well acquainted with their 
rights.” 
And yet, notwithftanding this ter- 
rific mufter-roll, which feemed to 
hold out defiance to the united force 
of mankind, there is every reafon to 
believe that the number of the dif. 
affected throughout the kingdom, 
was at leaft equal to that of the fup- 
porters of the new fyftem; fo that 
the fuppofed four millions oe men in 
arms mutt have been a grofs exag- 
geration, as the general "population 
malt otherwife have far exceeded 
any rational eftimate that ever was 
er could be made of it; without ob- 
ferving, what has fince evidently 
appeared, that the kingdom did not 
poffels arms fufficient for ane fourth 
of the afligned number. For befides 
the two great bodies of the nobility 
and clergy, whofe difcontent was 
avowed, and their enmity {carcely 
denied, even fo far as prudence and 
fafety required, all the late parlia- 
ments and magiftrates throvgbout 
the kingdom, with all the retainers 
and harbingers of law and of juitice, 
jn all their various degrees, (whofe 
aumbers jn France were fo prodiy 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 
1790. 
gious, that a true eftimate of them, 
if it could be made, would appear 
incredibl le) were to a man, except-» 
ing fomething between one and two 
hundred village atternies who fat in » 
the national aflembly, totally ad- 
verfe and hoftile to the new govern- 
ment. This body was deemed fo 
formidable, that Rabaut feems te 
confider, the men of the law, the 
appellation by which he claffed them 
in the grofs, among the moft dan- » 
gerous enemies of the new conftitu- . 
tion. To thefe were to be added 
the working manufacturers through- 
out the kingdom, whofe number was 
beyond count, and whofe diftrefles 
were now great and general ; 
was perhaps the number of labo- 
rious poor in the provinces much 
lefs, whofe families could fearcely. 
have exifted in any manner,but for :. 
the foftering benevolence and boun= 
ty of their Teka. who were now eij- 
ther ruined or abfent, and. of the 
clergy, who were in ftill.a worfe 
ftate. ‘T'o all thefe might be added 
an immenfe number of others, under 
various defcriptions, whofe lofles or 
difappointments had rendered them © 
unhappy, and confequently diffati- 
fied with the prefent ftate of af 
fairs. 
The diforders, tumults, affaffinas 
tions, and maflacres, which were 
conticyally taxing place in ditferent : 
parts of the kingdom, particularly 
in the great cities, being in manyi 
jnflances attributed to the bad cons 
duct of the municipalities, and to 
contentions between themfelves, the: 
afiembly pafled a decree that all 
municipalities fhound be anfiyerable. 
‘for any damage done by rioters in 
their refpettive diftrids. A law 
whieh might have produced an ex-, 
cellent effect if it had been properly . 
enforced, _ 
nor — 
