HISTORY OF EUROPE. 



11 



gered the authority and importance 

 of the others. That system was 

 now forgotten ; that equipoise de- 

 stroyed ; and the whole fabric of 

 the standing politics of centuries 

 tottering to its foundation. The 

 causes of this amazing change lay 

 mucli deeper than either the revo- 

 lution of France, or the confede- 

 racy formed to counteract it. A 

 spirit had started up, which, dis- 

 daining to be fettered by those 

 maxims to which mankind has sub- 

 mitted for a long course of ages, 

 had struck out new paths, em- 

 braced new principles, and seemed 

 determined, in defiance of all op- 

 position, to establish a new order 

 of things throughout the civilized 

 world ♦. This was an attempt of 

 such a nature, that it could not fail 

 to excite the most violent resist- 

 ance. The enmity of many 

 would arise from the interest they 

 would feel in its suppression ; the 

 abhorrence of others would flow 

 from the persuasion of its pernici- 

 ous consequences to society ; and 

 multitudes won'd condemn it, on 

 account of that dislike of change 

 which must be attended with much 

 confusion before things can be iho- 

 roiigbly settled. - 



In the mean lime the operations 

 of this spirit were incessant. As it 

 fell cliiefly on minds the rncit rest- 

 less, most turbulent, and most reso- 

 lute, its activity at last knew no 

 repose ; its audacity dreaded no 

 danger ; and it laboured with an 

 Jndctaiigabie assiduity to gain pro- 

 selytes among all whose qualities 

 and way of thinking were similar 

 to those of its prop.igators. In- 

 dividuals of this fnime of mind 

 posscas a natural ascendancy over 



all others. Doctrines supposed to 

 be founded on moral rectitude, the 

 mostpowerful principle among mo- 

 ral agents, were readily embraced 

 by men who believed that while 

 they consulted their self-interest, 

 they paid homage at the same time 

 to immutable truth and justice. 

 Novelty too, proverbially the pur- 

 suit of most men, contributed 

 largely to their rapid diffusion ; and 

 as they difTcred essentia!ly from 

 many received notions, the truth 

 of these began to be called in ques- 

 tion, and they were gradually dis- 

 missed to make room for more ac- 

 ceptable ideas Time and specu- 

 lation having, by degrees, ripened 

 them into a regular system ; among 

 their numerous adherents, the fer- 

 vour, with which these maiutaiued 

 and were determined at all hazard* 

 to support them, gave l)irth to a 

 resolution to let them no longer 

 lie buried in theory, but to bring 

 them forwards into actual practice. ■ 

 It happened at the same time, 

 that a coincidence of extraordinary- 

 events co-operated with the most 

 ardent wishes that could have been 

 formed by the professo.rs of this new 

 system. A nation the most fervid, 

 and susceptible of those impressions 

 that f tsciuate the imagination, had 

 long lain dormant and dt-prest un-. 

 der an accumulatijin of ditficuities 

 which had exhausted its patience, 

 Its government abounded with er- 

 rors, which had produced much 

 misery ; and the public was an- 

 xiously seeking for remedies to its 

 distresses. Matters indeed were 

 in a train for gradual and even 

 speedy refurmat'.on ; but the im- 

 patience of the i'Vench nation can. 

 not biuok any delay ; and is dis* 



fSe« Vol, XXXIV. ofthjs Work, page 4. 



posed 



