HISTORY OF EUROPE. 15H 



The Inactivity with which ha 

 «-as taxed at this time was, how- 

 ever, more apparent than real. 

 He absented Jiimself indeed from 

 the Convention and the commit- 

 tees durin- six weeks ; but this in- 

 ten'al was taken up in devising 

 every {.ossible method for counter- 

 acting the designs formed against 

 him, and in f >rming plans to unite 

 all his partizans for his and llieir 

 defenc, in the critical hour that 

 was approaching, and which, he 

 strongly- represented to them, would 

 decide their fate no less than his 

 »wn. But while he estranged him- 

 self from th'" committees and the 

 Convciitioi:, he did not neglect the 

 Jacobi!' club In the former he 

 possibly thought that his presence 

 might involve him in altercations, 

 which he chose to avoid till the 

 measures he was taking for himself 

 were completed ; but in the latter, 

 he knew himself to be possessed of 

 sodecidedamajority, that he appre- 

 hended no contradiction or censure 

 upon any proposal he might think 

 proper to make. Here it was there- 

 fore that he chose for the present 

 to use his principal exertions. He 

 appeared in the Jacobin club on 

 the 1st of July, where he made a 

 long speech relating to his conduct. 

 He observed that he was equally 

 persecuted by domestic and foreign 

 enemies. The misrepresentations 

 and calumnies retailed against him, 

 in the Parisian papers, were seen at 

 tiic same hour in the London pub- 

 lications in the pay of the British 

 ministry. He insisted that a con- 

 spiracy existed in the bowels of 

 the republic for its subversion, and 

 pointed oat the party, known by 

 the name of Indulgents, as acces- 

 sary to the treasonable designs in 

 Bgitatioii. 



Certain it is, that a variety of re- 

 ports, highly detrimental to his in- 

 terest, had been industriously cir- 

 culated. Some of them were im- 

 probableandinconsiifentj butothers 

 appeared so much in conformity 

 with his character, that they gain- 

 ed general credit. He was accused 

 of intending to procure iiimself a 

 nomination to supreme and abso- 

 UUe power, under the title of Dic- 

 tator; and to appoint 8t. Just and 

 Couthon his coadjutors. Whether 

 such a triumvirate wasreally or nrl 

 in his contemplation, is hard to de- 

 cide. Though his ambition was 

 boundless, and his vanity exce=;slve, 

 be was not, probably, so deluded 

 by it as to imagine that the French 

 were so enfeebled by terror as pas- 

 sively to admit of an explicit and 

 formal establishment of tyranny. 

 While they beheld the forms of a 

 republic, they might, as had ofter^ 

 happened in other countries, sul)- 

 mitto realdespotism ; buttoassnme 

 the name as well as the authority 

 of an absolute master, would be 

 an insult which the nation woul4 

 not bear. It is not likely there- 

 fore that ne should entertain such 

 ideas. He was already possessed 

 of sovereign po\\'er j and the 

 mere addition of a title could only 

 liave endangered his authority, to- 

 gether with his life. But another 

 report was abroad and firmly ber 

 lieved. In the committee of pub- 

 lic safety a powerful combinatioi^ 

 hadbeenformecjagainst liim. Hav- 

 ing discovered the parties, and re- 

 solved to destroy them, he had, 

 according to custom, inserted thdp 

 names in a list of persons whom he 

 intended to proscribe. Uiihappily 

 for him this list was found upon a 

 member of the rcvolutionnry jury, 

 who had been arrested. I'he pror 



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