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HISTORY OF EUROPE. 
essential service to the King, espe- 
cially by inspiring and keeping up 
a spirit of loyalty in the national 
guards of Paris, by associating him- 
self with the officers and soldiers 
who had the greatest influence in 
their particular battalions. The 
expence of his scheme was 34,000 
livres a month. The ministers, so 
far from hesitating to grant him the 
sum demanded, were convinced 
that they had made a very advan- 
tageous bargain; and, in order to 
remove any suspicion that might 
be occasioned by his expensive 
manner of living (for he invited 
about twenty persons every day to 
dinner) M. de Lessart, who had 
succeeded to M. de Montmorin, as 
minister of the home department, 
appointed him to a place of 16,000 
livres a year; which, together with 
his own personal property, might 
be supposed to enable him to sup- 
port the expence which his place 
required him to keep up. No ad- 
vantage resulted from this measure, 
either by conciliating the national 
guards or the sections, who con- 
tinued to be as ill disposed as ever. 
It may appear astonishing that the 
Noisy patriot, Danton, through the 
means of this very agent, received 
more than a hundred thousand 
crowns at different times, under 
the ministry of M. de Montmorin, 
for proposing or supporting various 
motions in the Jacobin club. His 
usual method was to season these 
with violent declamations against 
the court and ministers, that he 
might not be suspected of being 
sold tothem. The terms of Dan- 
ton being judged extravagant, cer- 
tain motions suggested by ministry 
were made and carried in the club 
on easier terms, by Dubois Crance. 
[19 
The same agent, towards the end 
of December, 1791, was com- 
missioned by M.de Lessart to make 
proposals to the deputies Brissot, 
Vergniaud, and Gaudet. The Abbé 
Fauchet and other members of the 
Assembly, had agreed to give their 
voices and influence in the Assem- 
bly to the minister, for the sum of 
6,000 livres a month each. Their 
price was thought too high: and as 
they wouid not abate in the least in 
their demand, the negociation end- 
ed, and only produced the effect of 
irritating these five deputies against 
the minister. Attempts were also 
made to gain the galleries; and vast 
sums were expended in these, with- 
out effect. The persons entrusted 
with that business turned it to their 
own profit, Spies and agents were 
also hired, who should mix in all 
popular meetings ; who should en- 
deavour to manage the public spirit, 
and qualify the motions made in 
those assemblies in miniature, in 
such a manner as that they might 
be the least injurious, if they could 
not be so modified as to be of bene- 
fit to the royal cause. 
A prosecution was carried on 
before a court of justice against 
certain journalists who maintained 
the existence, and even charged 
several individuals with being mem- 
bers of the Austrian Committee, 
above mentioned. The futility of 
this story was clearly exposed: but 
the calumniators were screened 
from punishment by the interfer- 
ence of the Assembly, of which 
they were members; and the judge 
La Riviere, who had the fortitude 
to arrest, and would have had the 
justice to punlish them, was sent to 
the prison of Orleans. 
Different plans were concerted 
i a for 
