they would hardly permit such an 
acquisilion to France in so near a 
neighbourhood, and of so dangerous 
a tendency, withgut seriously inter- 
posing to prevent it. . This, of 
course, must be attended with con- 
Sequences, of which the ultimate 
issue could not be ascertained, but 
which would undoubtedly be pro- 
duétive of many calamities. 
Arguments of this. nature. were 
indiscriminately used by the Ge- 
nevans, the many French individu- 
als that espoused their cause, and by 
those persons in Switzerland, who 
)Helvetic body must necessarily be 
involved, were the direétory to per- 
sist in so unequitable a project. It 
was therefore abandoned : but the 
iniquitous ambition that had prompt- 
ed it still remaining ungratified, 
sought a revenge for its disappoint- 
)ment, in the harsh usage of the se- 
jveral agents deputed from Geneva 
to Paris, whom it ignominiously ex- 
pelled from that city, on no other 
pretence, than that they did not 
come with those friendly views that 
became the state which sent them. 
But the Genevans, undiscouraged 
by this treatment, persevered unre- 
mittingly in the determination to re- 
main a separate state, and continued 
to labour with the more vigour in 
improving the government they had 
established, when they found them- 
selves countenanced by the moderate 
party in France, which, happily for 
them, was the most numerous. 
| The motives that were thought to 
|have aétuated the direétory in a 
transaétion, from which they reaped 
finally so little honour, were the de- 
sire to signalize themselves by the 
uisition of a state, which, hows 
vie inconsiderable in strength and 
HISTORY OF EUROPE. 
foresaw the difficulties, wherein the 
[181 
extent, bad obtained a highly deser- 
ved reputation throughout Kurope, 
by the industry and ingenuity of its 
inhabitants ; and, more than all, by 
the distinguished figure it had mains 
tained, and the high spirit it had 
displayed, in those aétive and tem- 
pestuous scenes that were produced 
by the reformation. It bad long 
been considered as the original seat 
of Calvinism, and the rival of Rome 
itself in matters of religiun, Here 
the famous founder of that seét lived 
and died, after having, by his un- 
conquerable courage, laid the foun- 
dation of the most resolute associa~ 
tion of men that ever figured. in 
modern ages. From the principles 
which heinculeated, arose that refor- 
mation in religion which was grafted 
on republican maxims. Hence it 
was immediately adopted by all that 
aspired at freedom. It filled France 
with the most intrepid asserters of 
civil as well as religious rights. It 
spread into the low countries, where 
it ere€ted the republic of Holland. 
It made its way into England and 
Scotland, where it gradually anima- 
ted the inquisitive and daring spirits 
of the last century in this country 
to those researches into the nature 
of government, and to those exer 
tions in the cause of national free- 
dom, which, had not fanaticism in- 
tervened, would probably have ter- 
minated so .bappily for all parties. 
Geneva, during the sixteenth and 
seventeenth centuries, had been the 
central point of communication be- 
tween the principal aétors of this 
high-spirited party. Beza, a tar 
greater charaéter than Calvin, no 
less inflexible, but much less austere, 
added lustre and importance to this 
place, by his learning and many 
other respectable qualities. He con= 
{N 3] 
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