lU ANNUAL REGISTE R, 1794. 



TTir success which then attended 

 him inriamrd his anibilion, and he 

 meditated from this time how he 

 should raise himself to a greater 

 participation of the j)ower he had 

 been so instrumental in procurinj^to 

 Robespierre, than the pride of this 

 latter would sufter him or any mau 

 to possess. The Cordelier Club, 

 over which Hcbert now exercised 

 the principal influence, was ready 

 to second him. Robespierre was 

 no favourite there ; nor did they 

 enjoy his countenance. But the 

 circumstance which emboldened 

 him to set them at defiance, was, 

 tlie laxity of llieir principles in re- 

 ligious matters, and the dangerous 

 maxims they had adopted and la- 

 boured to propagate in civil aliairs. 

 They now insisted upon equality 

 among men in the most unquaiilied 

 extreme : they even went so far as 

 to uphold iH their public meetings 

 the propriety of an equal distribu- 

 tio'n ot property, by passing an 

 Agrarian law. Robespierre and 

 Dan ton had both been members 

 of this club ; but abandoned it. 

 Its tenets did not suit their incliuiv- 

 tions nor desigiis, and might have 

 prejudiced their characters in the 

 general opinit)n ; which was unfa- 

 vourable to the notions and maxims 

 inculcaied by the club of the Cor- 

 deliers. This club was, in fact, a 

 sect ot" tl.e most disagreeahlecynics. 

 Thcyatfectcd a slovenliness in their 

 <lress, in order to captivate the at- 

 tention and partiality of the hnver 

 classes, by a conformity of appear- 

 ance; and a studied familiarity of 

 behaviour and language accompa- 

 Died their intercourse with the 

 meanest of the populaci-. 



Hcbert, who probably relied on 

 the popularity that he and his asso- 

 ciates had acquired by tiieic faeans; 



had seen sufficient proofs how ready 

 the j)eople of Paris were to receive 

 impressions to the disadvantage ot 

 the ruling power, when insinuated 

 with art and plausibility. Nor was 

 he without appreheniMon that Ro- 

 bespierre, who spared none that 

 stood in his way, might become 

 jealous of his credit in five Corde- 

 lier Society, and among their many 

 adherents; and that, suspecting hin> 

 ot intentions incompatible with the 

 despotic authority he was at all 

 events determined to retain, he 

 might sacritice him to his ambition. 

 Actuated by tliesc considerations> 

 and not improbably bj' that thirst 

 of power which appeared insepara- 

 ble from the views of every liead of 

 a party among the French, he re- 

 solved to bring about an alteration 

 in public atfairs. He began this 

 attempt by endeavouring to asperst 

 the characters of Fabre d'Eglantin* 

 and Camille Dcsmoulins,and other 

 members of the Convention. He 

 represented them in a journal, 

 wherein he assumed the fictitious 

 name of Pere du Chcne, as accom- 

 plices in the designs imputed to 

 Brissot and his associates. 



Fabre d'Eglantine and Camille 

 Desmoulins had both acted a con- 

 spicuous part since the meeting of 

 the Convention. The latter wa» i 

 a man of spirit as well as ability, 

 Jt was he that excited the people 

 to rise in arms when the Bastile 

 was taken; and he had been highljT 

 instruments! in electing the revo- 

 lution. The former had made 

 himself known chiefly by his an- 

 tipathy. to the established reiigion. 

 Robespierre had long lived in hat* 

 bits of intimacy with Camille Dea- 

 moulins, and employed his pen OQ 

 this occasion against Hebert; who> 

 nvt wni«m wUh the attacks he hadT 



roadei 



