HISTORY OF EUROPE. 
tants, they compelled the remainder 
to meet and vote their union with 
the kingdom of France. Those 
assassins were sent, under the name 
of commissaries, for settling certain 
differences which they pretended 
to have arisen amongst the inhabit- 
ants, and between Avignon and 
Carpentras. The assembly, by this 
management, had the appearance 
of only acceding to the will of the 
majority of the inhabitants, when 
they afterwards declared that Avig- 
non was an integrant part of the 
kingdom. 
The revolution of Avignon, the 
first fruits of the new pacitic system 
of France, formed a presage of 
farther encroachments, and unfold- 
ed the principle on which these were 
to be made; which were precisely 
the same with that on which the 
ancient Romansextended their con- 
quests over the greatest part of the 
known world. Like the Romans, 
they began their operations with 
Jearning the state of parties, and 
fomenting divisions; by espousing 
the cause of one of the parties, 
and making it the tool of their 
ambition. 
_ On the same plan they have pro- 
ceeded, like the Romans, to make 
war on other nations, not as ene- 
mies, but friends and protectors ; 
affecting to govern distant countries 
by influence and management, with- 
out seizing on them immediately 
and openly as possessions. While 
they lull the nation into habits of 
peace, they themselves nourish in 
their own country a spirit of war, 
and this becomes the great road 
todistinction, and the ruling passion 
‘of the nation: nor is this road pre- 
‘cluded to the very meanest of the 
citizens ; to whom the highest dig- 
nities are opened, as they also were 
fii 
to the plebeians of Rome in the 
course of their contests with the 
senate. Granting certain — privi- 
leges to the states whom they sub- 
due under the name of allies, they 
even induce them to fight their bat- 
tles, and to become the vile instru- 
ments of rivetting the yoke of sla- 
very on their own necks, and im- 
posing it on their neighbours: and, 
finally, like the ancient Romans, 
they affect to raise their authority 
by lofty pretensions and names, by 
external magnificence and pomp, 
and carrying to their capital what- 
ever is to be found most exquisite 
in art among the spoils of the con- 
quered countries. Such is the sys- 
tem of ambition to which the revo- 
lution of the small state of Avignon 
formed a cruel, though proper pre- 
lude. Vhe horrors committed at 
Avignon have been forgotten and 
lost in those that have since been 
committed all over Trance. But 
long did men shudder at the name 
of the glacis under the walls of 
Avignon, filled up with the dead 
bodies of its slaughtered inhabit- 
ants. 
The next object to which the 
new legislature of France turned 
their attention, was, the continued 
emigration of the nobles to join 
the army of French assembled be- 
yond the frontiers, under the Prince 
of Condé. 
October 14, 1791. It was de- 
creed that emigrants, thus assem- 
bled, should be from that time con- 
sidered as traitors against their 
country ; and that from the first of 
January 1792, such as should be 
known to be assembled, should be 
punished with death: that all the 
French princes, and public fune- 
tionaries, who should not return 
before the first of January, should 
‘be 
