Uy 
851] ANNUAL REGISTER, 1796. 
to pass an evening hour. I usually 
entered’ them, wrapped in my cloak, 
and took my seat in a corner of the 
room, where I might register what 
passed without attraéting notice. 
A principal part of my amusement 
arose from the warm ‘debates of 
some worthy citizens, who, having 
dispatched the business of the day, 
were relaxing their minds with a 
little politics. I was diverted to 
hear these great personages regu- 
lating the affairs of empires—lead- 
ing the combined armies into the 
heart of France, by a shorter cut 
than the Duke of Brunswick had 
taken—making the rebels own 
their lawful king, and receive their 
€xpatriated princes, I had re- 
marked every night that I fre. 
quented one house, a little man of 
uncouth figure, and unpropitious 
hysiognomy ; and had observed 
him constantly twirling a large key 
over his finger, whenever he en- 
tered into conversation, and strik- 
ing this forcibly against the table, 
when he wished to establish his 
argument or silence his adversary. 
J was astonished to find so much 
wit and pleasantry in his discourse. 
He rallied with much vivacity all 
nations, and all governments—but 
his own. He thought that France 
and Switzerland, which boasted of 
‘the purest constitutions, had Tess 
liberty than the Austrians; whose 
Constitution of government he 
‘owned was the worst, ‘! In Swit. 
zerland,’’ said he, ‘* a man cannot 
speak his sentiments without ha- 
‘zard of imprisonment, nor in 
‘France without the danger of de- 
capitation ; while in Vienna a man 
‘may indulge himself in all freedom 
of remark, and runs no risk, till he 
Jends his aid to plots, cabals, and 
€onspiracies,”? 
There are, however, discontents 
at Vienna’; and, were there all 
that freedom of speech on which 
the orator insisted, the ooffee-houses 
would resound with the complaints 
and remonstrances’ of the people: 
On the various topics he ran over, 
he expressed himself with great 
vehemence, took much snuff, and 
smote frequently with his key. 
Some intelligence which I picked 
up from the house has aéquainted 
me, that he has lately married a 
very pretty woman; and that every 
evening when he leaves her, he 
locks the door, and pockets thé 
key. I will make no apology for 
these colorings after nature—how- 
ever remote from the splendid 
scenes of life: my fortune has at 
present thrown me into those walks 
of society, where higher incidents 
cannot occur. © 
The Life and Writings of the Abbé 
Barthelemy: by the Duke de Nis 
Uernsgts. a 
John James Barthelemy was 
born January 20, 1716, at Cassis, a 
small sea-port in Provence, situated 
between Toulon and'- Marseilles ; 
his family had long been establish- 
ed at Aubagne, a pleasant town in 
that neighbourhood, where they 
were much respected ; his mother, 
Magdalen Rastit, was the daugh- 
ter of a merchant at Cassis; he lost. 
her at four years of ages At 12, 
his father sent him to school at 
Marseilles, where he made some 
progress in his studies under the 
Pére Renaud, at the college of the 
Oratoire; but, being destined for 
the church, and M., de Be!zunce, 
the bishop of Marseilles, obje@ting 
to admit the students of that se- 
minary into orders, he was remov- 
at 
