HISTORY OF EUROPE. 



129 



nessed of religion, and of those po- 

 litics, of both which they had so 

 long been the avowed and the offi- 

 cial propagators ; and from which 

 they had, during a long course of 

 years, derived so honourable a 

 maintenance, and so extensive a 

 credit and influence over every class 

 of society. These were motives 

 too powerful, in men strongly per- 

 suaded of the rectitude . of tlieir 

 principles, and feeling so keenly the 

 iBJurions treatment they had re- 

 ceived, to suffer them, while they 

 liad the liberty of acting, to let pass 

 Boy opportunity of following their 

 inclinations. 



The tempestuousnessof the times, 

 and the necessity of taking every 

 precaution to prevent insurrection 

 against the established government, 

 were no improper plea for this de- 

 cree ; though it was greatly dis- 

 pleasing even to many who were 

 wellwishers to the republican sys- 

 tem. They were of opinion Uiat 

 conciliation would etfect more than 

 terror ; aud that, by treating the 

 clergy with lenity, those over whose 

 consciences they had so much in- 

 fluence, would the more readily be 

 reconciled to the present measures; 

 that their spiritual directors, find- 

 ing themselves humanely used, 

 would feel the less propensity to 

 excittf the discontent of tiieir fol- 

 lowers, the dangerous consequences 

 of which would fail on tliem- 

 selve^i. 



The foregoing decree was speed- 

 ily Ibllowed by anotlier uf a singu- 

 lar aatnrc, and whi Ji sirougly in- 

 dicated the rancour of the republi- 

 cans towards the royalists. I'he 

 ' -.of those liiat had eiDigrated, 

 of their forlorn and uiipro- 

 lecitd state, and desirous of being 

 wllh their hu bunds, foimd il liow- 

 VoL. XXXVJ. 



ever extremely difficult to escape 

 from the involuntary detainment 

 they were held in, and which was 

 accompanied with so much peril. 

 They were looked upon as pledges 

 for the peaceable behaviour of their 

 husbands, on account of whosehos- 

 tile attempts against the republi- 

 can government, the ferocious re- 

 sentment of its rulers might easily 

 find pretexts t6 sacrifice their wives. 



Urged by these moiives they em- 

 ployed ever}' method that female 

 dexterity could devise, in order to 

 forward their evasion ; but they 

 were so narrowlywatched, that their 

 endeavours were usually fruitless. 

 An expedient was at length sug- 

 gested, which they readily em- 

 braced} and which for a time 

 proved successful. They contract- 

 ed pretended marriages with fo- 

 reigners who were in the secret j 

 and by whom they were carried 

 out of the country as their hus- 

 bands. This contrivance did not 

 long remain concealed; and as soon 

 as it was known, a determination 

 was taken to frustrate it. With 

 this view, a decree was made, pro- 

 hibiting the marriage of the wives 

 of emigrants with foreigners, under 

 tlie heaviest penalties. 



To this rancour against the par- 

 tizans of royalty, was farther added 

 the hatred that pursued the me- 

 mory of its last possessor. On th« 

 27th of April the Convention was 

 informed that Francois Germain, 

 locksmith to the late King, had de- 

 clared that he had constructed, by 

 his orders, a secret closet, in a wall 

 of his apartment in the Thuilleries, 

 with an iron door. In this closet 

 were deposited those papers, of 

 whi(;h he gave information after thcs 

 lOih of August 1792, and of which 

 such Use had been made against the 

 K King, 



