HIS PRINCIPLES AND CHARACTER. 399 
having caught that brutal infection, finally luxuriated in the like 
ferocious pleasure. About the time of the Revolution, many hot- 
headed, and, what is still more disgraceful, many able writers, in- 
dulged in disgustingly licentious publications to such an extent as 
could not fail to contaminate the minds of general readers, as well as 
to be highly prejudicial to the well-being of society, by divulging 
and giving free circulation to the secrets of the Boudoir—a descrip- 
tion of reading which, as it well accorded with depraved appetites, 
found numerous admirers among the people. Indeed, no reasonable 
doubt can be entertained, from the scenes which occurred at Nantes, 
in La Vendee, at Lyons, and Toulon, that even vast numbers of 
murders were committed, with no other object than to gratify a 
bloodthirsty inclination. 
But Robespiérre’s enormities were quite of another character. 
His private life is universally admitted to have been highly moral 
and unimpeachable,* the numerous victims who were sacrificed dur- 
ing the Reign of Terror being in a few instances only known to or 
seen by him. Neither should we permit the fact to escape our pre- 
sent notice, that it was he who urged, with the most zealous perse- 
verance, in the Constitutional Assembly, the propriety of totally 
abolishing capital punishment. 
The wretched fate of the unhappy king was neither the offspring 
of Robespiérre’s conception, nor did it even meet with his sanction ; 
but, on the contrary, it was Robespiérre who, after Louis’ unsuc- 
cessful flight, recommended that the catastrophe should be deferred, 
and that this act of leniency should be taken advantage of, in ren- 
dering the struggle between the aristocracy and the people—which 
had then become irreconcilable—less san guinary, and morein the 
nature of open declared warfare, than as resulting from deep-laid 
stratagem. 
All the members of the National Assembly who had but reluc- 
tantly resigned their aristocratic privileges, and still clung with per- 
severing tenacity to their noble order, crowded once more around 
the monarch, and placed him, bon gré mal gré, at their head—a po- 
sition which was invariably chosen for him, like a captive king 
among the Romans leading the triumphal processions—and the 
struggle, now assuming its true and legitimate character, finally 
* Garat, ibid, says, “ Robespiérre que |’Europe croit voir & la téte de la 
Nation Francaise, vit dans la boutique d’un menuisier dont il aspire 4 étre le 
fils; et ses moeurs sont decents sans aucune affectation et sans aucune sur- 
veillance hypocrite sur lui méme.” 
