HISTORY OF EUROPE. 133 



«<?nt of tyrants and traitors, truth, 

 justice, modesty, glory and immor- 

 tality, friendship, frugality, cou- 

 rage, sincerity, heroism, disiuterest- 

 cdness, stoicism,love, conjugal affec- 

 tion, paternal affection, maternal 

 tenderness, filial piety, infancy, 

 youth, manhood, old age, misfor- 

 tune, agriculture, industry, ances- 

 tors, posterity, and happiness. 



By this decree the freedom of 

 religious worship was confirmed ; 

 but every aristocratical or other as- 

 sembly, subversive of public order, 

 was prohibited. In case of distur- 

 bances, the motive or occasion of 

 which might be any particular 

 mode of worship, those who should 

 excite them by fanatical diricourses 

 and counter-revolutionary insinua- 

 tions, and those who caused them 

 by unprovoked outrages; were both 

 to be punished with equal severity. 

 The last article of this decree, that 

 wherein Robespierre was personally 

 interested and had most at heart, 

 was the solemn celebration of a 

 festival in honour of the Supreme 

 Being, which was appointed for the 

 8th of next June. This famous 

 decree was received with great ap- 

 plause, and unanimously passed by 

 tlie Convention, which ordered it to 

 be translated into all languages, and 

 dispersed throughout all nations. 



The grand festival appointed in 

 honour of the Supreme Being, was 

 intended by Robespierre to be a 

 day of triumph to himself a'^d his 

 party. Every prejiaration was 

 made use of that could render it 

 magnificent. The relations that 

 have been given of the manner in 

 which it was conducted, represent it 

 as equally solemn and brilliant, and 

 perfectly calculated to please the 

 people of Paris, and indeed most 

 Frcuchmcn, who are particularly 



dehghted with scenes of this de- 

 scription. 



What most particularly claimed 

 the attention of the public on this 

 memorable day, was,the attendance 

 of the Convention in the mostimpo- 

 sing formalitieu, and decorated with 

 all the symbols of the duties an- 

 nexed to their station. In front of 

 the Thuilleries, and facing that fu- 

 perb garden, aspaciousamphi theatre 

 was erected, in the midst of which 

 was placed a tribune; wherein Ro- 

 bespien'e, as president of the Con- 

 vention, and as the head in fact of 

 the French nation, held forth, with 

 great solemnity, on the business of 

 the day. A variety of ceremonies 

 and singular transactions took place 

 in the course of this remarkable 

 festival, which closed with hymns 

 and musical co.Tapositions in praise 

 of the Deity. In the midst of this- 

 ceremony Robespierre seemed par- 

 ticularly intent on the enjoyment of 

 his own consequence, and in display- 

 ing it to the eyes of the multitude. 

 Forgetful of -that republican equa- 

 lity which he al\^'ays so vehemently 

 insistedon,and of the jealousies that 

 naturally attended the vast pre-emi- 

 nence he had attained, he gave a 

 loose to the native vanity of his dis- 

 position, and affected a personal su- 

 periority over his fellow-raeiiibers, 

 by some circumstances in his beha- 

 viour that gave them great offence. 

 AUthings considered, this proved^to 

 him a most inauspicious day. 



The new religious creed and in- 

 stitutions of RobespieiTe, naturally 

 became a subject of much specula- 

 tion. Among the most active and 

 formidable enemies of the dictator, 

 he reckoned those men who were 

 most conspicuous for their philoso- 

 phical and literary talents, and who 

 were also most notorious for Atlie- 

 K 3 isiMi 



