606 
concludes, as if it were a prayer, 
with the emphatical word, ‘¢ Amen.” 
This wish concerns the fortunes of 
Bonaparte, takes him up from the 
first: from being a Corsican, he be- 
comes a Frenchman, his new coun- 
try adopts him, nourishes him in 
the rank of its children, and already 
promises him the greatest destinies. 
*¢ A storm arises. By the force 
of the tempests the state is over- 
turned, the most noble persons fall! 
every thing is broken. The un- 
happy Frenchman regrets, with 
sighs, his error and his wishes. Na- 
poleon appears.” ‘The author de- 
scribes him as flying from one vic- 
tory to another in Italy, in Egypt, 
and traces him back again to France. 
Then he becomes consul, and forces 
from their hands the sceptre and the 
censer ; and then he describes him 
as already seated on the throne, and 
wanting nothing to complete his 
wishes. He makes and unmakes 
Kings, indifferent as to what he does, 
provided he is but feared, and pro- 
vided he exercises despotic power 
over a people degraded even to the 
rank of slaves. ‘* Kings are at his 
fect begging his favour. He is de- 
sired to secure the supreme autho- 
rity in his hands. The French, nay, 
kings themselves, hasten to congra- 
tulate him, and would take the oath 
to him like subjects. He is pro- 
claimed chief consul for life. As 
for me, far from envying his lot, 
let him name, I consent to it, his 
worthy successor. Carried on the 
shield, let him be elected emperor! 
Finally (and Romulus recals the 
thing to mind) I wish that on the 
morrow he may have his apotheosis, 
Amen.”’ 
Now, gentlemen, he says, Romu- 
lus suggests that idea. The fate that 
is ascribed to him is well known to 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1803, 
all of us. According to ancient hiss 
tory, he was assassinated. This 
publication is entitled, ** The Wish 
of a good Patriot on the 14th Day 
of July, in the year of our Lord 
one thousand eight hundred and 
twa,” and holds out to the people 
of France, what it is a good patriot 
should do, and how he should act, 
by representing to their minds the 
fate of Romulus ; and presents that 
as an example for their imitation ; 
they are to act on that as an exam- 
ple. I think you will not be induced 
to believe 1 am describing it by an 
improper character, when I say it is 
the publication of a most infamous, 
gross libel, which is disgraceful to 
the English press, and contains, at 
the same time, an exhortation to the 
people of France to rebel against 
him, and to assassinate him. 
» Gentlemen, if my learned friend 
meets me on these points ; and if he, 
by any ingenuity, can induce you to 
believe this is all historical narra- 
tion, that it is only free, legal dis- 
cussion, we meet fairly on that plain 
issue, which you are to decide be- 
tween us, But let me not be told £ 
am an enemy to the liberty of the. 
English press, when I prosecute the 
abuse of it, to protect it from igno- 
miny and disgrace, and to check its 
licentiousness, when applied to such 
base purposes as that of instigating 
to assassination. 
Gentlemen, I shall not. trouble 
you with many farther observations. 
on the subject. I stated to you, at 
first, what I conceived to be the ob- 
ject and tendency of this work ; and 
now let me put it to you, whether. 
you do not think, with me, this is 
a crime in this country—whether the 
exhortation to assassination, in time 
of peace, is not a very high offence? 
If it were in time of war, I should 
have 
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