_ the flood-gates of all the basest pas- 
| sions were opened, and that poli- 
| tical enthusiasm, which had ina 
great degree swallowed up all infe- 
| rior views, was mixed, contami- 
| mated, and overwhelmed by an in- 
undation of crimes, and an almost 
universal disregard toconsiderations 
of either morality or religion. The 
assassinations, arrests, and menaces 
of this gloomy period, were uni- 
formly accompanied with robbery 
and extortion. The numbers, whom 
fear and danger drove out of the 
country were immense; and the 
municipal officers and members of 
the Jacobin club who gave or pro- 
cured the necessary passports, en- 
-riched themselves by enormous 
sums. Five thousand pounds were 
frequently given. for one passport. 
Large sums were also extorted ‘by 
means of denunciation; and in 
: others, by promises of protection. 
___ Ata time whenthe French nation 
were breaking through all the an- 
cient bonds of society, it would 
have been very extraordinary, if 
so lively and changeable a people 
should have continued to wear the 
yoke of matrimony. The Assem- 
‘by, on the motion of M. Sillery, 
relative to divorces, came to the 
following resolutions: ‘ Ist. That 
a dissolution of marriage, by the 
mutual consent of the husband and 
wife, be allowed. 2d. That a di- 
_ vorce be allowed at the desire either 
of the husband or the wife, on the 
simple allegation of difference of 
; papers or other stated grounds,”’ 
While the most unprincipled, the 
_ Most active, and those who possess- 
_ ed the greatest power and influence 
in their individual capacity, grew 
rich on the spoils of their neigh- 
bours, the great patrimonial estates 
HISTORY OF EUROPE. 
[59 
of the nobility and clergy were 
seized by the Assembly in the name 
of the nation ; and these being di- 
vided and subdivided, were sold to 
all who could purchase them, and 
for the greater part to the cultiva- 
tors of the soil, who had an oppor- 
tunity of hoarding up assignats in 
the course of service in the national 
guards, and in the army. The plate 
and jewels of the crown were also 
seized for the public exigencies. 
A time was foreseen when assignats 
would no longer serve to purchase 
the necessaries of life; on which 
account every effort was made to 
keep up gold and silver in the mint. 
The rulers of France were not 
more restrained by the laws of mora- 
lity in their conduct towards other 
nations. Claviere, minister for con- 
tributions, as he could not venture 
to propose any new taxes on the 
people of France, conceived the pro- 
ject of drawing contributions by ne- 
gotiations with the principal banks 
of Europe. Agents were sent to 
London, Amsterdam, Madrid, 
Hamburgh, and other places, who 
had orders to negotiate bills on Pa- 
ris, payable, as was well under- 
stood, in assignats. The value of 
the bills discounted was remitted to 
France in specie. When they be- 
came due they were paid according 
to the course of exchange. But be- 
fore thiscould be converted into gold 
or silver, assassins were hired to pa- 
trole the streets, and by threats, or 
acts of violence, to chace away from 
their several stations all those who, 
according to the manner of Paris, 
sold money for billsinthe streets. At 
other times, when a rise in change 
was wanted for the purpose of 
drawing new bilis, Claviere sent 
men to offer more money than was — 
wanted 
