148 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1794. 



by the guillotine. The only won- 

 der is, that his friend, through 

 whom this fact afterwards trans- 

 pired, was not included in the num- 

 ber. Jn the mind of Rohespien-e, 

 all the sentiments of nature were 

 so overborne and superseded by po- 

 litical fanaticism and phrenzy, that 

 he regarded human beings merely 

 as geometrical ligures on which he 

 could form systematic reasonings 

 by abstraction, witliout the smallest 

 emotion of humanity. 



The conspiracies continually im- 

 puted to the \mfoitunatc individuals 

 shut up in the numerous prisons in 

 Paris, afforded a fresh opportunity 

 and pretence to treat them with 

 the utmost rigour and barbarity that 

 malice and inhumanity could joint- 

 ly invent. They were deprived of 

 every comfort of life. The more 

 exalted and elegant their style of 

 living had been, the more ready 

 wci'e their oppressors to make them 

 feel the reverse of their condition. 

 They were, without discrimination 

 of ranli or sex, thrust into the most 

 horrid dungeons, — fed with the 

 coarsest and most loathsome food, 

 — exposed to the vilest taunts, rail- 

 leries and reproaches of their inso- 

 lent and pitiless keepers. There 

 was not, in short, a species of miseiy 

 and horror left uncontrived and 

 unexercised over the victims con- 

 demned by the cruelty of the ru- 

 ling powers to tliose lamentable 

 abodes. Every affliction that can 



befal human nature, and render 

 death preferable to life, was here 

 daily and hourly experienced ; and 

 tl\e reality of that vulgar but signi- 

 ficant expression, a hell upon earthy 

 was here exhibited in the most 

 horrible extent. 



While these tragic scenes were 

 acted within the prisons of the me- 

 tropolis, the reign of terror was 

 spreading its baleful influence with- 

 out, and filling all classes of the 

 community with consternation. As 

 party and principle were daily ceas- 

 ing to be safeguards to the warm- 

 est partizans ot liberty, people hard- 

 ly knew what maxims to avow, 

 and what poUtical persuasion to em- 

 brace. They were all equally dan- 

 gerous, unless they were accompa- 

 nied with an unreserved submission 

 to the governing power, and an 

 imphcit acquiescence in the recti- 

 tude of all its measures. The ter- 

 ror infused by those atrocities be- 

 gan however to be attended with 

 commiseration. The prodigious 

 increase ot the number of prison- 

 ers was a sufficient motive for ge- 

 neral alarm, — no one knowing how 

 soon his name might be added to 

 the list. It was at this time enor- 

 mous, amounting to near 8000 

 persons, inclosed within the jails of 

 Paris only. Hence may be con- 

 jectured what the number must 

 have been of those confined in all 

 the prisons of France { 



CHAP. vni. 



Motire.i of Submission to Rnlespierre. These motives legin to cease, and 

 Discontents to arise. Party formed against him. Rolespiet re increases 

 the Potvsr of the Committee of Ptillic Safety, and of General Security. 

 The Decree to this Intent opposed by Bourbon de L'Oise, and others. Op- 

 position to Robespierre gathers Strength, His Conduct, in order to couii' 



teract 



