116 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1V94. 



of the confubion and uncertainiy of 

 thesclitnies \vl;tri.iu tliey hai been 

 bewildered, tlmt they would gladly 

 have united under such a one as 

 would have embraced their general 

 interests, and allowed every man, 

 professing himself a fi publican, to 

 claim and to exercise an undis- 

 turbed freedom of opinion ai:d 

 spetch on that form of a republi- 

 can governinent he might think 

 most conducive to the public wel- 

 fare ; without being constrained to 

 adhere to the ideas and measures of 

 ih.e present, or of anv ruling party. 

 This was the reputed schen-e of 

 Danton; and looked upon by judi- 

 cious people as ihe mcst eligible 

 in the actual ciicuinstances of 

 the nation : but a? it did not seem 

 to favour that perpetuity of power 

 which Robespierie sought to fix in 

 Lis ownpaity, and held up niaNims 

 that m.icht have weakeiicd his per- 

 sotial interest and defeated his pii- 

 vale views, his unbounded ambi- 

 tion, and settled deteirainatlon to 

 retain the sole power in his own 

 hands, induced him to crush at once 

 that scheme, by the destruction cf 

 its author, and to persecute, unre- 

 lentingly, all that appeared desirous 

 to adopt it. Thus he continued 

 the system of terror and tyranny 

 without the least relaxation, o! r;;- 

 ther indeed with additional vio- 

 lence. 



Among the many unfortunate 

 individuals u ho were yet ('istired 

 to be the viciins of his bsrbarity, 

 was that truly great and respectable 

 man Lumoigr.or Male.sherbes. The 

 justice due to his transcencant me- 

 rit, had been shewn him at a time 

 '■when France wys goveriied solely 

 by corruption and intrigue, and 

 ben the eoitrt cousibted alT.cst en- 

 i.ifcly of men without piinciple. 



and whose views were directed Ikj 

 the mo8i shameless and scanda'ous 

 manner, to oppose the influence 

 and exaltatiun of any man whom, 

 they suspected to be cap.ble and 

 inclined to set his face against their 

 practices. The u; happy Louis XVI. 

 who, if not a prince of very emi- 

 nent abilities, was certainly the most 

 virtuoi!s man in his court, had how- 

 ever discernment enough to per- 

 ceive, a: d equity to single out 

 Maltshetbes as a person deserving, 

 the royal favour, and promoted 

 him to a ministerial post of the 

 highest dignity and importance. 

 No choice ever did that monarch 

 mere, it so much honour. Males- 

 hcrbes justified it not only by the 

 talents he displayed, but by an up- 

 rightness and integrity eif conduct 

 that won him the admiration and 

 .applause of a court sunk in all 

 manner of vices; and his contempt 

 and reprobation of which, he was 

 above concealing. But that part 

 of his character which will transmit 

 him to the veneration of posterity, 

 is the gratitude and intrepidity with 

 w hich he undertook the defence of 

 that unhappy mouaich, when it 

 was accon.^ianied with the highest 

 danger to himself, and when he 

 most have been conscious that the* 

 party lie thus had the spirit to op- 

 pose would watch him ever after 

 with an eye of rancour, and that, 

 he would probably pay with his life 

 for the magnanimity he had shewn., 

 tie was accordingly dragged from 

 the retirement, wherein he had pro- 

 posed tospenil his latter days; and, 

 upon some of those frivolous char- 

 ges which were always at hand for 

 Ihe sanguinary purposes of the day,'* 

 this venerable man, verging toward* 

 fourscore, was condemned to die 

 by the guillotine. - 



One 



